Major script "All school attendance and year-end gatherings are a risk factor... Close to hospital beds in the metropolitan area"

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Central Headquarters) is concerned that full school attendance after the entrance exam and year-end gatherings will become a risk factor in the prevention of COVID-19, and urged the public to abide by the quarantine rules.

Deok-cheol Kwon, the 1st deputy head of the Central Division (Minister of Health and Welfare), said this while looking back on the progress of the gradual recovery from the 1st to the 2nd week of the last 1st at the meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters held at the Government Complex in Sejong on the 15th.

Deputy Director Kwon said, "Only one week has passed since the start of the phased daily recovery, and the average daily number of confirmed cases has exceeded 2,000, and about 400 critically ill patients are occurring every day."

“The main reasons are the increase in indoor activities due to the recent cold weather, the increase in the number of people who break through the elderly, the situation where there are more than 10 million people who have not been vaccinated, including children and adolescents, and above all, the weakened awareness of the risk of infection.”

He said, "I am concerned that the spread of the youth group will increase even more as they go to school soon after the entrance exam is over. The year-end meeting, which has been postponed, is also expected to be a big risk factor."

Deputy Director Kwon said, "The government has taken measures such as issuing an administrative order to secure beds and supplementing home treatment, but as the number of critically ill patients is rapidly increasing and accumulating, "infectious disease-only beds and intensive care beds in the metropolitan area are in a critical condition," he said.

"The medical staff and quarantine agents are in a critical situation," he said.Even if beds and equipment are secured, it will be difficult to provide adequate treatment if there is a shortage of medical personnel and if they are exhausted.”

"It is absolutely necessary to follow the quarantine rules now," he said.

Deputy Director Kwon said, "Even if vaccination is completed, the risk of breakthrough infection increases over time, reaching half of the total number of confirmed cases. You have to get it,” he said.

He added, "I earnestly ask that you once again raise your vigilance and join forces at the new turning point on the road to recovery."