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Yesterday (22nd), the number of new corona19 patients fell to 2,600, but the number of patients with severe cases also broke a record high. In the metropolitan area, where the number of confirmed cases is concentrated, the shortage of hospital beds is getting serious.



Reporter Park Soo-jin.



<Reporter> There were



2,699 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 yesterday.



Excluding 14 imported cases, 2,685 cases were domestically infected.



There were 2,58 cases in the metropolitan area and 627 cases in non-metropolitan areas.



There were 549 cases of severe severe disease yesterday, which had been in the 500 range, and also broke the record high.



The death toll has risen by 30, so far, 3,328 people have lost their lives to COVID-19.



In the metropolitan area where the number of confirmed cases is concentrated, the utilization rate of critically ill beds is 83.3%, which is still a tight situation.



A total of 836 patients were waiting for more than one day to be assigned to a hospital bed, and about half, or 404, were aged 70 or older.



As the number of breakthrough infections increases, especially among the elderly, and the number of cases exacerbated by double seriousness increases, the quarantine authorities are speeding up the booster vaccination.



Advance reservations for additional vaccinations for 8.19 million people over 50, including those in their 50s and older, whose vaccination interval has been shortened to 4-5 months, started yesterday, and the remaining vaccines can be used to inoculate on the same day.



Additional advance reservations for vaccinations for 12-17 year olds will also start from 8pm tonight.



For children aged 12-17 years, the primary vaccination rate was only 40.9%, and the completion rate was only 15.4%.



The quarantine authorities are considering applying the quarantine pass to teenagers under the age of 18.



[Jung Eun-kyung / Director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: As the epidemic increases, the number of confirmed cases in children and adolescents is also increasing, and the need to review the application of the quarantine pass (for them) is being raised.]



Corona 19 Vaccine 1 The primary inoculation rate is 82.4%, and the primary inoculation completion rate is 79%.