'Record High New Cases' Oh Se-hoon: "All 6 Municipal Hospitals Mobilized, 1411 Additional Beds Secured"

'Emergency Medical and Quarantine Measures Activated: Hospital Beds Expanded from 2,688 to 4,099
Six Seoul Municipal Hospitals Allocate Beds for Infectious Disease Response; Plan to Secure 1,218 Additional Beds in Cooperation with Private Hospitals
Operation of Maternity Specialized Beds and Regional Living Treatment Centers; 'Seoul COVID-19 Testing Sites' Established in Four Zones'

On the 2nd, as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 5,266, breaking daily records, citizens who visited the screening clinic set up at Gangseo-gu Public Health Center in Seoul were waiting to get tested. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to break records daily and the first domestic case of the new variant virus 'Omicron variant' has been confirmed, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is urgently activating an 'emergency medical and quarantine measure' mobilizing all six municipal hospitals. As of midnight on this day, the number of new confirmed cases in Seoul reached 2,268, marking the highest for two consecutive days.

On the 2nd, Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced at a briefing on 'COVID-19 countermeasures including securing hospital beds' held at Seoul City Hall in the morning that the currently operated 2,688 hospital beds will be expanded to 4,099. Among Seoul's severe patient beds, 311 out of 345 are in use, with an occupancy rate of 90.1%.

Mayor Oh stated, "Seoul will mobilize all municipal hospitals," adding, "In addition to the four municipal hospitals operating 100% as infectious disease-dedicated hospitals, we will also use as many beds as possible for infectious disease response through phased procedures at Seoul Medical Center and Seoul Boramae Hospital." He continued, "Until we overcome this crisis, municipal hospitals will be operated primarily as hospitals focused on COVID-19 treatment," and added, "We will secure an additional 193 beds by the end of this month, increasing the current 1,036 beds according to severity."

Furthermore, an additional 1,218 beds will be secured in cooperation with private hospitals. In addition to the 513 beds previously secured through administrative orders, 705 beds are being prepared for operation by voluntary participation of medical institutions such as infectious disease-dedicated nursing hospitals. In particular, to ensure pregnant patients can be admitted with peace of mind, 'maternity specialized beds' have been designated, operating 9 beds across 4 hospitals, and a 'base living treatment center' will also be operated.

Mayor Oh said, "For those eligible for hospital admission who are in good health but are elderly or have chronic diseases making it difficult to assign them to general living treatment centers,

all eight living treatment centers in Seoul will be converted and operated as base living treatment centers," adding, "Within this month, one university dormitory will be additionally opened as a living treatment center with 520 beds, and negotiations are underway to secure additional hotels."

He also announced the operation of a 'COVID-19 outpatient clinic' where home treatment patients can receive face-to-face medical care. For home treatment patients who are elderly or have underlying conditions and for whom non-face-to-face care makes symptom assessment difficult or whose symptoms persist requiring face-to-face care, support will be provided for examinations such as X-rays.

Mayor Oh explained, "We have established a transfer system to immediately move those whose symptoms worsen and require intensive care to base treatment centers or infectious disease-dedicated hospitals," adding, "Using respiratory clinics with negative pressure facilities, we will pilot three locations?Seobuk Hospital, Gangnam Bedro Hospital, and Seoul Medical Center?and plan to expand to eight locations in the short term."

While making every effort to increase vaccination rates, Seoul announced it will operate 'Seoul COVID-19 Testing Centers' in four districts to enhance the convenience of COVID-19 testing. For seniors aged 60 and over, vaccination will be encouraged through a dedicated public official responsibility system, and vaccinations for children and adolescents will be conducted at the school unit level. Additional vaccinations for the general adult population will be promoted to be available on the same day after reservation.

Mayor Oh said, "We have introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) telephone guidance service called 'Vaccine Care Call,' which will operate in 13 districts starting this month and will be expanded to all districts," adding, "We will establish four base-type COVID-19 testing centers operated by Seoul, including at Jamsil Main Stadium."

Meanwhile, to ensure safe home treatment, the patient management system will also be reorganized. Seoul plans to strengthen health monitoring of home treatment patients by expanding the dedicated home treatment teams in autonomous districts from one to three teams and designating at least one additional management medical institution per district, gradually increasing from the current 34 institutions. Mayor Oh explained, "We will designate at least one additional management medical institution per district, gradually expanding from the current 34," and added, "Medical personnel will conduct health monitoring twice daily, 24 hours a day, to prepare for emergency situations."

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