Highest number of patients with severe cases for 4 days due to a surge in the number of elderly patients… The highest number of deaths per day since the fourth epidemic

[앵커]

As the number of confirmed cases increases, especially among the elderly, the number of patients with severe conditions in poor condition is also increasing.

The number is close to 500, the largest number ever recorded.

The government has again issued an executive order to secure beds.

Next is reporter Kim Do-young.

[리포트]

The number of critically ill patients was 485 as of 00:00 today (13th), the highest for four days in a row.

The death toll increased by 32.

The number of deaths in the 30s is the first in ten months since January, the third epidemic.

In particular, there are many cases of severe cases and deaths, especially among the elderly.

Eight out of 10 patients with severe cases and 9 out of 10 deaths were from the elderly in their 60s or older.

[최원석/고대안산병원 감염내과 교수 : “(고령층) 먼저 (접종) 진행을 했었는데 시간이 지났고 아무래도 연세가 많으신 분들에서 환자 발생이 많아지면 중증으로 이어지거나 사망할 환자들이 많아지거든요.”]

The utilization rate of intensive care beds in the metropolitan area is about 72%, with only 190 out of 680 remaining.

The emergency plan standard proposed by the government is 75% of the intensive care unit utilization rate, which is close to that.

The quarantine authorities issued another administrative order to secure a bed for the first time in a week following the 5th.

With two administrative orders, the number of hospital beds increased by 450 in the metropolitan area.

[이기일/중앙재난안전대책본부 제1통제관/어제 : “중등증병상의 경우 치료가 끝난 경우에는 적시 퇴원토록 하겠습니다. 그리고 거점생활치료센터 또는 재택치료로 연계하도록 하겠습니다.”]

Meanwhile, as of 12 noon today, the number of people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 has exceeded 40 million.

Additional vaccinations are also in progress.

Of the Janssen vaccinations that were completed once, about 340,000 people and 339,000 people over the age of 60 completed the booster vaccination.

The quarantine authorities are reviewing measures to shorten the interval between booster vaccinations for the elderly from six months to five months, following those working in medical institutions.

This is Doyoung Kim from KBS News.

Video Editing: Park Joo-yeon/Graphic: Kim Ji-hoon