SURGE IN NUMBER OF ICU PATIENTS

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As Covid-19 cases are surging, the number of ICU patients is also on the rise. It has stayed at over 500 for five days in a row, with the majority of critically ill patients being seniors. Nearly 800 people infected with the virus have waited for at least one day to be hospitalized. Measures are needed urgently as half of them are 70 and older

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South Korea has set a new record in terms of critically ill Covid-19 patients at 586. About 86 percent of ICU beds in Seoul are currently occupied. Only 47 beds are available. In Gyeonggi-do Province and Incheon, more than eight out of ten beds are already in use. The government admitted it's having a hard time securing hospital beds.

[Soundbite] Park Hyang(Central Disasters Management HQs) : "As the number of ICU patients keeps rising, mostly among seniors, securing hospital beds is not easy."

While authorities are scrambling to secure as many hospital beds as possible by transporting patients to non-capital regions and relocating them according to their symptoms, As of 12 a.m. November 24, 778 infected people in the greater Seoul area have waited for more than a day to be hospitalized. Nearly half of them, or 374, are 70 and older. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum says the situation is more serious than expected and enforcing emergency measures in the Seoul metropolitan area at any moment should be considered.

[Soundbite] Kim Boo-kyum(Prime Minister) : "Our priority is to recover medical response capabilities such as ICU beds in the greater Seoul area."

Some are calling for enforcing restrictions at least in the greater Seoul area, as infections are spreading rapidly compared to the additional vaccinations of the elderly. Less than 10 percent of seniors have received booster shots so far.

[Soundbite] Prof. Lee Jae-gap(Hallym University) : "Raising restrictions for the unvaccinated or banning entry to them altogether should be considered. More places should require proof of vaccination."

The government decided to dispatch some 750 regular staff members and about 500 temporary health workers to public health centers, which have their hands full these days because of a large number of patients receiving home treatment as part of the gradual return to normalcy and the surging number of Covid-19 cases.