Surge in COVID-19 Cases...Central Government Officials Support Quarantine Sites

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] As the number of COVID-19 patients receiving home treatment surges, central government officials will also be deployed to frontline quarantine sites.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 23rd that, due to the increased workload at public health centers caused by the surge in home treatment patients, they plan to dispatch central government officials.

Starting from the 28th, central government officials will be dispatched to public health centers to assist with basic epidemiological investigations, sending text messages, and symptom telephone checks as part of screening support tasks. With the Omicron variant spreading rapidly, dispatch may begin even before the 28th if conditions allow.

As of midnight on the day, the number of patients receiving home treatment nationwide exceeded 500,000, reaching 521,294. On the 10th, the government shifted its system to focus testing and treatment capacity on high-risk groups such as those aged 60 and over, while other confirmed cases are managed through 'self-treatment.'

The speed of increase in confirmed cases has exceeded expectations, causing excessive workloads at quarantine sites such as public health centers. There are also concerns that the home treatment system has developed 'gaps' due to the rapid surge in cases.

On the 18th, a 7-month-old male infant who was confirmed positive died during hospital transfer, and on the 19th, a man in his 50s who was confirmed positive was found dead at home.

Park Hyang, head of the CDSCH quarantine team, stated at a briefing, "If the number of new confirmed cases increases by about 200,000, it is estimated that approximately 4,000 additional personnel will be needed at quarantine sites," adding, "We are preparing to have central government personnel provide support."

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