"The People Are Collapsing..." COVID-19 'Half-Hearted' Measures Only

Government Repeats Only Words on Special COVID-19 Measures
Interval for Third Dose Vaccination Shortened to 3 Months for All Adults
Administrative Order to Secure About 1,700 Non-Capital Region Hospital Beds
Experts Warn "Immediate Lockdown Needed"

On the 10th, as 7,022 new COVID-19 cases were reported, marking the third consecutive day with over 7,000 cases, citizens visiting the temporary screening clinic set up at Seogang University Station Plaza in Mapo-gu, Seoul, are waiting to get tested. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy reporters Seo So-jeong and Son Seon-hee] As the number of new COVID-19 cases has remained in the 7,000 range for three consecutive days, the government has introduced additional measures, including shortening the interval between the 2nd and 3rd doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to three months. However, experts criticized that with severe cases staying in the 800 range for three consecutive days and a serious shortage of intensive care unit beds, these measures are insufficient to address the urgent situation. Amid warnings that new cases could rise to 30,000 by the end of the year, the government’s repeated statements that it is "considering extraordinary measures" are seen as missing the golden time.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting held at Incheon City Hall on the 10th, "To expedite vaccination, adults aged 18 and over will be able to receive their 3rd dose three months after completing the basic vaccination." Currently, the interval for additional doses is five months for adults aged 18-59 and four months for those aged 60 and above, with the option to shorten by one month through leftover vaccines. However, due to the worsening outbreak, the interval will be uniformly shortened to three months.

Regarding the shortage of hospital beds, Prime Minister Kim said, "We plan to secure about 1,700 beds by issuing additional administrative orders targeting general hospitals outside the metropolitan area," and emphasized, "We expect to secure more than 5,000 beds through additional administrative orders and designation of dedicated base hospitals." He added, "If it is judged that reversing the crisis phase soon is difficult, the government will have no choice but to decide on extraordinary quarantine measures, including strong social distancing."

Experts raised their voices in criticism, saying, "Extraordinary measures should have already been implemented." Professor Jung Ki-seok, a respiratory medicine specialist at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital and former director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said, "If 10,000 cases occur daily while intensive care unit beds in the metropolitan area are already saturated, the medical system cannot cope," and urged, "Immediate lockdown is necessary."

Professor Shim Eun-ha of the Department of Mathematics at Soongsil University, who predicts the scale of confirmed cases at the National Institute for Mathematical Sciences, warned, "If people's behavior patterns do not change, daily confirmed cases could reach 30,000 within this month." Professor Shim noted, "While the vaccine’s effectiveness is clear, if interpersonal contact increases and year-end gatherings continue, the current spread is inevitable, making it most important to change and reduce behavior patterns." She further projected, "If the new variant Omicron, known for its high transmissibility, becomes the dominant strain, the spread could become even more severe."

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