Gyeonggi Province Secures 82 Additional Designated Hospital Beds in Preparation for Increase in Confirmed Cases

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province has secured an additional 82 designated hospital beds for infectious diseases in preparation for the increase in COVID-19 confirmed cases.

Ryu Young-chul, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Health and Health Division, held a regular press conference on the 27th and stated, "Considering the recent increase in confirmed cases, current medical institution and community treatment center beds are expected to be insufficient."

As of 8 p.m. on the 26th, the total number of secured beds in medical institutions in the province, combining general and severe patient beds, is 1,652 beds, with bed occupancy rate at 85%, utilizing 1,398 beds.

Over the past week (from midnight on the 20th to midnight on the 27th), the province secured an additional 82 designated hospital beds, including 42 beds at Ilsan Hospital and 40 beds at Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center's Anseong Hospital, and plans to secure an additional 73 beds at Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center's Icheon Hospital this week.

Additionally, in preparation for an increase in confirmed cases, the province is preparing to open one additional community treatment center.

Regarding the home care program, as of midnight on July 27, a total of 669 people have utilized and received management since March 2, and 163 people are currently receiving home care.

Over the past week, home care program users received 205 medical consultations, and 21 people were transferred to medical institutions. 124 people were released from quarantine.

Gyeonggi Province has also newly established a dedicated task force for the home care system operation unit in preparation for a surge in confirmed cases.

It will be operated with Im Seung-gwan, Director of Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center's Anseong Hospital, as the head, and will be composed of 30 medical personnel and 6 administrative personnel.

As of midnight on the 27th, the total number of confirmed cases in Gyeonggi Province is 53,839, an increase of 375 from the previous day.

The daily average number of new confirmed cases in the province has recorded over 350 for three consecutive weeks.

However, the fatality rate in the province has been continuously declining since recording 1.02% on April 1. There were 8 deaths in July, with a fatality rate of 0.08%.

As of 6 p.m. on the 26th, the total number of people in the province who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination is 4,024,296, representing 71.6% of the target population and 29.8% of the Gyeonggi Province population.

The second round of voluntary vaccinations targeting approximately 194,000 people, including call center workers, homebound people with disabilities, and sports-related workers, will be conducted for three weeks from July 26 to August 14.

For vaccination of people in their 50s, 1,643,781 people participated in reservations out of 1,932,751 eligible people in the province, recording a final reservation rate of 85.05%.
Those aged 55-59 began vaccinations on the 26th, with first-round vaccinations to be conducted until August 14. Those aged 50-54 are scheduled to receive their first-round vaccinations from August 16 to 28.