COVID-19 Risk Level in 수도권 'Very High'... Nationwide 'High'

On the 22nd, citizens lined up to get tested at the temporary COVID-19 screening site set up at Seoul Plaza. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The government announced last week that the weekly COVID-19 risk level in the Seoul metropolitan area has already risen to the 'very high' stage. Nationwide, the risk level was assessed as 'high,' while non-metropolitan areas were diagnosed at the 'medium' level.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, Jeong Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), stated at the regular COVID-19 briefing, "As a result of a comprehensive weekly risk assessment, the nationwide risk level was evaluated as 'high,' the metropolitan area as 'very high,' and non-metropolitan areas as 'medium'." Compared to the previous week, the second week of November (7th?13th), when nationwide, metropolitan, and non-metropolitan areas were at 'low,' 'medium,' and 'very low' levels respectively, the risk levels surged by one to two stages each.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 17th that COVID-19 risk would be assessed weekly across three domains: ▲'Response capacity' such as ICU bed occupancy rate, ▲'Incidence status' including the number of new severe cases per week and the proportion of confirmed cases aged 60 and over, and ▲'Vaccination' such as the additional vaccination rate for those aged 60 and above. Using 17 evaluation indicators, the weekly COVID-19 risk would be classified into five levels: very low, low, medium, high, and very high.

Commissioner Jeong explained, "The Central Disease Control Headquarters evaluates the rapid increase in metropolitan area bed occupancy rates, the rising trend of severe cases among elderly patients in their 60s, and the increase in confirmed cases among school-aged children under 18 as risk factors and intends to respond actively." She added, "Bed capacity in the metropolitan area is rapidly being depleted, and within just two weeks since the first evaluation, the metropolitan area's risk level has sharply risen to 'very high'." According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, last week the metropolitan area's bed occupancy rate reached 77.0%, and the proportion of confirmed cases aged 60 and over nationwide rose to 35.7%.

Commissioner Jeong stated, "Considering the overall situation, this trend is expected to continue for the time being," and added, "We plan to strengthen necessary measures centered on the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters." Accordingly, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters is continuously working to expand medical response capabilities by improving bed utilization efficiency, jointly using beds in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, and expanding beds, personnel, and equipment.

However, Commissioner Jeong noted that the current situation is not at a stage to activate emergency plans. She said, "Currently, it is not the stage to activate emergency plans," but added, "If the situation continues to worsen, the application of emergency plans may need to be considered. Therefore, at this point, there were many opinions emphasizing the need to strengthen quarantine measures to the maximum and for individuals to adhere more strictly to quarantine rules."

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