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SEOUL: South Korea reported more than 300 new coronavirus infections on Saturday (Aug. 29), the 16th day of triple-digit increases, fueling concerns about a worsening sickbed shortage amid a resurgence of the COVID-19.
The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) released 308 new cases as of midnight Friday, bringing the total infections to 19,400, including 321 deaths from COVID-19.
Having largely slowed the first major outbreak outside of China earlier this year, South Korea is suffering a setback this month after a group of churches reached out to a political rally in Seoul, attended by dozens of thousands of people from all over the country.
READ: South Korea tracks church members, limits troops to bases as COVID-19 spreads
With the increase in the disease, hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area had only 4.5% of their beds available for critical cases as of Friday, up from 22% the week before. About 24 percent of all COVID-19 patients’ beds were abandoned, compared with 37 percent last week.
“Only about 15 beds are immediately available in the Seoul metropolitan area for critically ill patients, as there were numerous patients who were in serious condition and needed to be hospitalized,” said Yoon Tae-ho, director general of health policy. public in the Ministry of health.
“But we should have a little more space soon because more people are being released,” he said at a news conference.
LEE: South Korean doctors attack health plans as new cases of COVID-19 increase
The government on Friday took the unprecedented step of restricting restaurants in the capital area as a multitude of outbreaks continued to emerge in churches, offices, nursing homes and medical facilities, even after distancing rules were tightened. Social.
For a week starting Sunday, on-site meals at restaurants, pubs, and bakeries in the Seoul area will be prohibited after 9 p.m., while coffee shops, some of which have been identified as hotspots, are restricted to takeout and home delivery.
Churches, nightclubs, gyms and most of the schools in the area are already closed and masks are a must in public places.
The KCDC said more than 1,000 cases have been traced to the Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul, which is at the center of the new wave of infections.
Its director, the Reverend Jun Kwang-hoon, is an outspoken critic of the government who was also confirmed to have contracted the virus.
The church outbreak led to at least 25 new groups, and more than 300 people who joined an anti-government protest this month along with church members have tested positive so far, according to the KCDC.
READ: South Korea falls short of the strictest COVID-19 measures despite increasing cases
DOCTOR’S STRIKE
Health authorities have expressed concern, especially as nearly 16,000 interns and residents have been on strike since August 21, mainly over government plans to increase the number of doctors to better deal with health crises such as the coronavirus.
The Ministry of Health filed a police complaint against at least 10 doctors and issued a return to work order for doctors, who are the backbone of health services in emergency rooms and intensive care units.
Striking doctors have volunteered at temporary testing centers to help with the outbreak, and major hospitals have reported delays and outages since their departure.
“Doctors must stand by the side of patients as we face the possibility of a national transmission of COVID-19,” Yoon said on Saturday.
“We are in the last line of defense to calm the spread in the Seoul metropolitan area, and if we fail, the only option left for us is to increase the distancing rules to the highest level.”
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