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Today (6th), the number of new corona cases is expected to be around 4,000. The number of new cases has shown a trend so far as the weekend passes, but now the weekend effect has disappeared. As the number of critically ill patients continues to rise to 700 daily, the number of critically ill beds in the metropolitan area has run out. Nearly 1,000 patients are waiting for bed assignment, and the number of patients dying while waiting is increasing. Our medical response is reaching its limits.



By Lee Joo-sang, staff reporter.



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There was a long line at the screening center even on weekends.



As the corona epidemic continues to spread, the number of holiday tests is increasing.



The number of confirmed cases nationwide stood at 5,000, an increase of more than 30% from a week ago.



As the number of confirmed cases recorded around 5,000 for the fifth day, medical response faced a limiting situation.



As the number of critically ill patients continued to reach 700 for five consecutive days, the utilization rate of critically ill beds in the metropolitan area exceeded 85%, and both Seoul and Incheon exceeded 90%.



Although 115 beds remain in the metropolitan area, it is difficult to operate immediately due to the lack of personnel and admission procedures.



In Gangwon, North Chungcheong Province, and North Gyeongsang Province, only one intensive care bed remained.



In the metropolitan area alone, there are 954 people waiting for more than one day for hospitalization, and nearly 300 people waiting for more than four days.



The problem is that more than half of those waiting for the hospital bed are over 70 years old, and the rest have many underlying diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.



[Son Young-rae/Chief of Social Strategy Division, Central Accident Resolving Headquarters (last 3 days): We are doing our best to increase the efficiency of the intensive care unit by expanding the beds for critically ill patients and increasing the rotation speed of the intensive care unit.

We will continue to carry out these tasks at an accelerated pace.] The



situation in which waiting for hospitalization and exhaustion of intensive care beds is rapidly spreading to non-metropolitan areas. seems to be