Critical cases hit another record high... 'Emergency Medical Response' Activated

Government Secures Additional 52 Beds in Metropolitan Area General Hospitals
Also Promotes Early Implementation of Booster Vaccinations

On the morning of the 11th, citizens are waiting to get tested for COVID-19 at the screening clinic of Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] As the number of severe COVID-19 cases rapidly increases mainly in the Seoul metropolitan area, the government has activated the ‘Emergency Medical Response Plan’ to secure an additional 52 beds in metropolitan general hospitals and urgently support medical personnel. Early implementation of booster shots will also be promoted.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 12th at midnight that the number of severe cases increased by 2 from the previous day to 475. The number of severe patients hospitalized has continued to set a record high for three consecutive days. The death toll also rose by 18 from the previous day, reaching a cumulative total of 3,051. Double-digit daily deaths have continued for 11 consecutive days. However, the fatality rate has consistently remained at 0.78%.

Kwon Deok-cheol, 1st Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), warned at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting that morning, "It has been ten days since entering the first phase of daily recovery, and the number of severe cases has reached a record high of 475."

The problem is that if this trend continues, medical capacity may reach its limit. Due to the recent surge in severe cases, medical capacity is rapidly being depleted. As of 5 p.m. the previous day, 661 out of 1,125 intensive care unit (ICU) beds nationwide, or 58.8%, were in use. This is a 10 percentage point increase in utilization compared to 540 out of 1,111 beds (48.6%) used a week earlier on the 4th. In particular, in the metropolitan area, 75.4% of beds in Seoul, 72.2% in Incheon, and 70.3% in Gyeonggi are in use, with 502 out of 687 beds (73.1%) occupied.

According to a report from the National Medical Center, if the current trends in severity rate and fatality rate continue for more than ten days, it is projected that 139 new severe patients will occur daily. The number of deaths is also expected to increase to 52 per day. This is more than three times the recent daily average of 16 deaths over the past week. It also predicted that half of these deaths will be among the elderly aged 80 and above.

Accordingly, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters decided to continuously secure medical capacity through the emergency medical response plan in response to the increase in confirmed cases in the metropolitan area. Following the administrative order to secure beds in the metropolitan area on the 5th, an administrative order was issued to secure semi-severe beds at seven general hospitals with more than 700 beds in the metropolitan area, securing an additional 52 beds. To address medical personnel issues arising from the expansion of beds under the administrative order, the Central Accident Response Headquarters will support standby personnel upon requests from each hospital. Additionally, four infectious disease-dedicated nursing hospitals with 405 beds were newly designated the previous day.

Efforts to improve bed operation efficiency will also be promoted. Severe beds will be operated mainly for patients who require ICU treatment, and patients whose condition improves will be transferred to semi-severe beds to increase turnover of severe beds. For moderate to severe beds, various measures such as introducing differential incentives based on length of stay and improving discharge criteria will be reviewed to ensure timely discharge of patients who do not require medical treatment.

On the 8th, when the additional COVID-19 vaccination (booster shot) began for Janssen vaccine recipients and inpatients, residents, and workers of nursing hospitals and nursing facilities, a Janssen vaccine recipient is receiving an additional vaccination at Yonsei With ENT Clinic in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Meanwhile, the government attributes the current crisis to the waning preventive effect as time passes after completing vaccination. Minister Kwon stated, "Among the elderly aged 60 and above who completed vaccination in the first half of this year, the vaccine effectiveness has weakened over time, leading to the spread of breakthrough infections." The breakthrough infection incidence rate per 100,000 people is 120 for those in their 60s, 124 for those in their 70s, and 144 for those aged 80 and above, showing an increase with age.

The government is currently considering shortening the interval for booster shots, which is currently six months. Kim Ki-nam, Head of the Vaccination Planning Division at the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Task Force, said the previous day, "Expert consultations and discussions are currently underway," and "The final decision regarding the interval shortening is expected to be announced next week." He indicated the possibility of shortening the interval, saying, "There is considerable consensus on the need to advance the timing of booster shots."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.