MEASURES TO REDUCE SERIOUSLY ILL CASES

[Anchor Lead]

Reducing the number of serious cases now hinges largely on how quickly the high-risk senior citizens receive their booster vaccines shots. Also, seriously ill patients who recover from COVID-19 should be released from the ICU unit to make more beds available for other patients.

[Pkg]

Majority of the critical and fatal Covid-19 cases occurred in the 60 or older demographic, Based on the past two weeks’ data, individuals 60 or older accounted for 84% of the serious or critical cases and 95% of deaths. Booster shots are important in reducing infection among senior citizens but at present only 46% of the 60-plus population have been vaccinated with the third dose. The number of serious cases can go down only when vaccination speeds up before the year’s end.

[Soundbite] Sohn Young-rae(Central Disasters Management HQs) : "We expect infections among the elderly to go down with rising third-dose vaccination."

As a matter of fact, booster shots are proving to be effective among the elderly population. Fewer cases and smaller cluster infections have been observed at geriatric hospitals and nursing facilities where patients and staff members were vaccinated with booster shots last month. The percentage of people over 60 in total confirmed cases fell from 35% to 30%. The government will also instruct that critically-ill patients be moved out of the COVID-19 intensive care units after they are fully treated to make more ICU beds available. Seriously-ill patients can be released from isolation because the virus can no longer be transmitted 20 days after symptoms are first developed. Once they are moved out of the isolated ICUs, they can receive additional treatment at the general ICUs or general wards, if needed.

[Soundbite] Park Hyang(Central Disasters Management HQs) : "We’re changing the guideline so that if a patient with existing conditions doesn’t get worse but maintains condition, he or she can be released from isolation and moved to a general ward."

Meanwhile, government authorities held a meeting to again persuade parents to have their children vaccinated. The officials promised to persistently answer parents’ concern about abnormal reactions to vaccines.

[Soundbite] Kim Boo-kyum(Prime Minister) : "We believe it’s best to get vaccinated for themselves as well as for their families, friends and school communities."

The vaccination reservation rate among adolescents between ages 12 and 15 has gone up to 56%.