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Test COVID-19 at a temporary testing site at Seoul Station, Dec.16 – Photo: REUTERS
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) recorded 1,078 new cases a day, the highest since the pandemic began. The number of serious illness cases also rose to a record 226 cases and more than doubled in the past two weeks.
KDCA also recorded 12 more deaths, the second day with a double-digit death toll. So far, the highest death toll is 13. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Korea at this time was 45,442 and deaths were 612, according to the report. Yonhap.
Hospitals are overcrowded, health officials say, with just three special care beds in Seoul, home to 26 million people. “The first priority is to make sure there are more beds,” Prime Minister Chung Sye Kyun said at a government meeting on December 16.
The government is considering promoting the cooperation of private health facilities to provide more hospital beds, said Senior Health Ministry official Yoon Tae Ho.
Much of the serious illnesses and deaths were due to an outbreak in health centers and nursing homes, where there are many elderly people and patients with underlying medical conditions, Yoon said.
Health officials also warned people to take current preventive measures seriously as South Korea faces the risk of a national lockdown for the first time since an outbreak.
Yoon said officials are consulting with experts, local authorities, and the anti-virus committee on whether or not to raise the epidemic prevention limit to level 3.
Level 3 may be in effect when domestic cases increase from 800 to 1,000 or the number of daily cases has doubled from the previous day. This is the strictest level, which prohibits the gathering of 10 or more people and toughens social distancing measures.
Mr. Yoon noted that upgrading to level 3 “will have a huge impact on society” and will damage the way businesses and the self-employed alike.
