<Anchor> This



is the news of Corona 19.

Yesterday (4th), the number of new corona 19 confirmed again exceeded 250,000, and the number of daily deaths exceeded 200 for the first time.

Even with the Omicron mutation, which is said to have mild symptoms, the number of severe cases and deaths continues to rise, but the government is in the position of a manageable scale.



Reporter Jo Ki-ho reports.



<Reporter> The



number of new COVID-19 cases decreased by more than 12,000 from the previous day, but still exceeded 250,000.



The number of home healers also exceeded 1 million for the first time, recording 1,025,900.



Yesterday's death toll was 216, the highest on record, and 44%, or 95, were unvaccinated.



The number of patients with severe gastritis was 896, an increase of 99 in just one day.



In particular, the number of seriously ill patients has doubled in just over a week, and if this trend continues, it is not far from reaching the 2,000 mark.



[Lee Ki-il / Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters 1st Controller: The number of critically ill patients will gradually increase.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also expects 2,000 to 2,700 people.]



The government said that the domestic medical system is of a scale that it can handle, but the medical community is not slowing down.



[Seo Dae-cheol/Director of Cardiovascular Center, Seoul Bumin Hospital: Some people who received the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd doses also have worsening lungs...

.

One of the most difficult things for medical staff is that it is unpredictable.]



He also says that the prescription of 'Paxrovid', an oral treatment that only 25,000 patients are taking, needs to be expanded.



[Chun Eun-mi/Professor of Pulmonary Medicine, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital: The government is not releasing the Pax Lovid that the government currently has.

On the other hand, people in hospitals, nursing homes, and the elderly at home should be able to receive medicines in a timely and early stage...

.]



In the midst of this, the business hours of multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes have been extended by 1 hour from today to 11pm.



(Video coverage: Jeon Gyeong-bae, Video editing: Kim Kyung-yeon)