Gyeonggi Province Opens Additional Residential Treatment Centers and Secures More Infectious Disease Hospital Beds

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] In preparation for a bed shortage crisis due to the surge in COVID-19 confirmed cases, Gyeonggi Province decided to open an additional residential treatment center with a capacity of 332 patients and secure 179 additional beds at infectious disease dedicated hospitals.

Kim Jae-hoon, head of Gyeonggi Province Health and Welfare Bureau, held a regular press conference on COVID-19 response on the 9th and announced a bed securing plan, stating “Through organic cooperation with the central government, we will do our best to ensure there are no disruptions in securing personnel and equipment for bed securing.”

Currently, the province has secured 1,056 beds at residential treatment centers, 630 beds at infectious disease dedicated hospitals, and 49 beds for severe patients, totaling 1,735 beds. Among these, the occupancy rates of infectious disease dedicated hospitals and severe patient beds have reached saturation at 89.2% and 91.8%, respectively.

Accordingly, the province will additionally open a residential treatment center at LG Inhwa Won located in Icheon on the 10th. With a scale of 166 rooms accommodating a total of 332 patients, this opening will enable Gyeonggi Province to accommodate a total of 1,388 asymptomatic and mild-case patients.

Additionally, the province plans to secure a total of 179 additional infectious disease dedicated hospital beds—51 beds in the first phase and 128 beds in the second phase—this month, bringing the total to 875 beds.

For critical and severe patient beds, the province is proposing to the central government that the nation directly designate regional tertiary hospitals and infectious disease dedicated hospitals, and then jointly utilize them by region. Meanwhile, the province is also reviewing plans to secure additional beds through its own support.

As of midnight on the 9th, the number of confirmed cases in Gyeonggi Province increased by 219 from the previous day, reaching a total of 8,691 cases, with confirmed cases occurring in all 26 cities and counties in the province. Among new confirmed cases, 80 elderly people aged 60 and over account for 36.5%, and 62 cases with unknown transmission routes account for 28.3%.