Number of COVID-19 deaths in S. Korea hits record high
- 3 years ago
최근 1주일간 코로나19 사망자 최고치... 병상부족으로 자택대기자수 248명으로 늘어
South Korean health authorities have warned of more coronavirus deaths in the following days... as the number of critically ill patients aged 60 or older continued to climb during the past week.
And nearly 250 patients are stuck at home... due to a shortage of hospital beds.
Kim Ji-yeon reports.
South Korea reported a record-high of 24 coronavirus deaths for the second day in a row on Tuesday.
The number of deaths has been increasing by double digits over the past week, the steepest rise since the start of the outbreak.
Based on the official government tally, Korea has reported a total of 135 deaths since last Tuesday, which comprises around 19-percent of the total number of COVID-19 deaths so far.
Authorities have pointed to an increase in the number of critically ill patients from high-risk facilities frequented by senior citizens.
A high number of them succumbed to the virus while receiving treatment... while some of them were confirmed post mortum.
"The fatality rate for those aged 60 or older is very high, at the same time they comprise almost 90-percent of the total number of critically ill patients. The recent spike in COVID-19 deaths stems from cluster infections in places like medical facilities and retirement hospitals.)
As a result, authorities have made it mandatory for employees in these facilities to be regularly tested for the coronavirus... and are allowing the use of antigen test kits that produce quick results.
There are just 44 hospital beds for the critically ill left in South Korea... less than eight-percent of the country's total.
There are none left at all in Gyeonggi-do province... or in six other regions of the country.
In the Seoul Metropolitan Area, 248 patients are having to stay at home due to a shortage of hospital beds.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.
South Korean health authorities have warned of more coronavirus deaths in the following days... as the number of critically ill patients aged 60 or older continued to climb during the past week.
And nearly 250 patients are stuck at home... due to a shortage of hospital beds.
Kim Ji-yeon reports.
South Korea reported a record-high of 24 coronavirus deaths for the second day in a row on Tuesday.
The number of deaths has been increasing by double digits over the past week, the steepest rise since the start of the outbreak.
Based on the official government tally, Korea has reported a total of 135 deaths since last Tuesday, which comprises around 19-percent of the total number of COVID-19 deaths so far.
Authorities have pointed to an increase in the number of critically ill patients from high-risk facilities frequented by senior citizens.
A high number of them succumbed to the virus while receiving treatment... while some of them were confirmed post mortum.
"The fatality rate for those aged 60 or older is very high, at the same time they comprise almost 90-percent of the total number of critically ill patients. The recent spike in COVID-19 deaths stems from cluster infections in places like medical facilities and retirement hospitals.)
As a result, authorities have made it mandatory for employees in these facilities to be regularly tested for the coronavirus... and are allowing the use of antigen test kits that produce quick results.
There are just 44 hospital beds for the critically ill left in South Korea... less than eight-percent of the country's total.
There are none left at all in Gyeonggi-do province... or in six other regions of the country.
In the Seoul Metropolitan Area, 248 patients are having to stay at home due to a shortage of hospital beds.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.