S. Korea’s new COVID-19 cases top 7,000 for the first time

Dec 09, 2021, 08:25 am

		0
People wait in line to get tested for the coronavirus in Seoul on Dec. 8, 2021./ Source: Yonhap

AsiaToday reporter Park Ah-ram

South Korea reported Wednesday that its new daily COVID-19 cases surpassed 7,000 for the first time. The number of COVID-19 patients in severe condition also increased over 800 for the first time, accelerating concerns over the country’s overwhelmed health care system.

The country confirmed 7,175 new COVID-19 infections Wednesday, raising the total caseload to 489,484, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Wednesday’s daily infection tally was 1,800 more than the previous one-day record of 5,352 set on Saturday.

The number of confirmed cases is increasing rapidly as the country loosed social distancing rules in November to address economic concerns. The daily infection tally reached over 4,000 for the first time on November 24, and surpassed 5,000 for the first time within a week on December 1.

The number of critically ill patients also jumped to a record high of 840. The number of COVID-19 patients in severe or critical condition reached over 700 for a week in a row from early December, and reached the 800 level for the first time on Wednesday.

With rising number of critically ill patients, hospital bed shortage is worsening. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the bed occupancy rate of intensive care units at hospitals around the country reached at 78.7 percent. In the greater Seoul area, it rose to 84.5 percent. There are 860 patients who are waiting to be admitted to hospitals.

The KDCA has confirmed 38 omicron cases, 9 from overseas and 29 were confirmed to have locally contracted the virus variant.

The number of people classified as omicron epidemiologic related cases increased by 13 as of Wednesday to 56. Of the newly identified cases, three are Seoul residents and the remaining 10 are residents of Incheon. All of them are either members of a church in Incheon’s Michuhol District or family members of the church members.

As the quarantine situation in the country is worsening rapidly, the government decided to significantly improve the current at-home treatment for COVID-19 patients.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said during the government’s COVID-19 response meeting that the government will mobilize additional personnel to oversee coronavirus patients treating themselves at home and improve the emergency transfer system to hospitals for those who develop severe symptoms under the at-home treatment.

Kim said that the government will provide elderly at-home care patients with oral medication to treat COVID-19 from January. Also, mandatory self-quarantine for the family members of COVID-19 patients is reduced to seven days from the current 10 days. He said that the government will raise the state subsidy for households that care for COVID-19 patients at home to ease the financial burden arising from home care and self-quarantine.

#COVID-19 #South Korea #record high