The first 600 people with severe cases... Confirmed confirmed today, around 4,000 expected

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Today (26th), the number of new corona cases is expected to be around 4,000. The increase in the number of confirmed cases is worrying, but the increase in the number of patients with severe cases is even more worrisome. For the first time since the outbreak, the number exceeded 600. Due to the rapid increase in the number of critically ill patients, the number of patients who are not treated in a timely manner may increase because the critically ill beds are almost full. The daily death toll is also the highest since the fourth pandemic.

Reporter Baek Woon reports.

<Reporter> As of

9 p.m. last night, the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 was 3,229, with close to 2,600 confirmed in the metropolitan area alone.

In particular, Seoul exceeded 1,500 for three days in a row.

If you add up the figures by midnight, when the counting ends, the number of new confirmed cases to be announced today is expected to be around 4,000.

The number of confirmed cases is a problem, but the increase in the number of severe cases and deaths is a bigger concern.

As of 00:00 yesterday, the number of patients with severe severe symptoms was 612, setting the record for three days in a row, which has increased by 21% in the last week.

By age group, 85% were aged 80 and over, with 150 people in their 80s, 216 people in their 70s, and 154 people in their 60s.

The daily death toll was 39, the highest since the fourth epidemic.

All but one were over the age of 60.

This is because the number of infections in the elderly over the age of 60, whose vaccine effectiveness has declined, more than doubled compared to the end of last month.

The government has once again stressed the need for booster vaccinations.

[Kim Ki-Nam / Head of Vaccination Planning Division, Vaccination Promotion Division: According to the results of overseas investigations, the infection rate is reduced by one-tenth and the aggravation rate by one-twentieth compared to those who have completed the basic vaccination. ]

In addition, as a result of examining the response rate of adverse reactions based on the third day of the booster dose, it was emphasized that the booster dose was lower than the previous dose.