COVID-19 Cases Return to 400,000 Range... Critically Ill Patients Exceed 1,300 for the First Time

In-Person Medical Consultations for Confirmed Cases Begin
Vaccinations for Ages 5-11 Start Tomorrow

From the 30th, COVID-19 confirmed patients will be able to receive face-to-face consultations more easily at nearby local clinics. Starting from this day, hospital-level medical institutions can provide in-person consultations to confirmed patients on the same day without a separate review process if they apply for designation as a Home Treatment Outpatient Center to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Clinic-level medical institutions can apply from the 4th of next month. As of midnight on this day, the number of home treatment patients nationwide was counted at 1,712,515. A notice is posted at a hospital in Dongjak-gu, Seoul on this day. This hospital has separated some consultation rooms for face-to-face consultations and COVID-19 testing for confirmed patients and prepared a separate waiting area for patients. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The number of new COVID-19 cases rose again to the 400,000 range on the 30th, and the number of critically ill patients hospitalized exceeded 1,300 for the first time. From this day, COVID-19 patients can more easily receive in-person treatment at nearby local clinics and hospitals, and from the 31st, vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 will begin.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on this day, the number of new COVID-19 cases increased by 424,641 from the previous day, bringing the total cumulative cases to 12,774,956. The government judged that the outbreak passed its peak after the 17th, when 621,197 new cases were reported.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum stated, "The number of confirmed cases, which had been rapidly increasing since January, has declined after 11 weeks," adding, "(The Omicron spread) has passed its peak and is entering a downward trend."

However, the number of critically ill patients and deaths is on the rise. The number of critically ill patients reached a record high of 1,301, surpassing 1,273 on the 28th. The number of deaths was 432, the second highest following 469 on the 24th. The total cumulative deaths reached 15,855, with 7,797 deaths occurring this month alone. Nationwide bed occupancy rates are 66.4% for critical care beds, 68.9% for semi-critical care beds, and 43.6% for moderate care beds.

From this day, COVID-19 patients can receive in-person treatment at more local clinics and hospitals. Previously, outpatient treatment centers for home care were designated mainly at respiratory medical institutions capable of treating COVID-19 symptoms, but from the 30th, medical institutions or Korean medicine clinics treating non-COVID-19 conditions such as fractures and trauma can apply to be designated as outpatient treatment centers and start treatment immediately.

Kim Jun-han, CEO of The Born Hospital, explained, "There were cases where patients scheduled for surgery suddenly tested positive for COVID-19 and had their surgeries canceled," adding, "From today, confirmed patients can receive internal medicine treatment as well as spinal and joint examinations or surgeries."

The COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5 to 11, starting on the 31st, is expected to have low uptake, with a pre-registration rate in the 1% range. The health authorities recommend vaccination for high-risk groups among the 3,147,942 children aged 5 to 11, such as immunocompromised individuals and those with diabetes. As of the 28th, 40,925 had made reservations, resulting in a reservation rate of about 1.3%.

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