코로나19 신규 확진 176명…"위중•중증 환자와 사망자 증가"
Our top starting tonight: a slight uptick in Covid-19 cases in South Korea from yesterday but still under 200 for the ninth day at 176.
The nation continues a downward trend in fresh infections, but keeping health officials on alert are the growing number of critically ill patients, fatalities... and cluster infections particularly at a major hospital in Seoul.
Meanwhile, health officials will decide whether to extend the stronger social distancing rules in the greater capital area this weekend.
Jang Tae-hyun leads our coverage tonight.
South Korea reported 176 cases on Friday the ninth straight day that the number has been between 100 and 200.
Out of the 161 local cases, 116 are from the capital region... and 15 are imported cases.
One concern is that the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients is increasing.
Many of them are over 60, who are more likely to have high blood pressure or diabetes.
"Recently, more COVID-19 cases and critically ill cases are occurring in people over the age of 60. In the past month, 34 percent of the total confirmed cases were from the over 60s,... but for the last three days,... more than 40 percent of the patients are over 60."
As of Friday, there are 175 critically ill patients and 87 percent of those are over the age of 60.
For now, only 33 out of 534 intensive care beds nationwide can be used immediately.
In six areas, including Incheon, Gwangju, and Daejeon,... there are no beds left.
Meanwhile, a cluster infection at Yonsei Severance Hospital has been linked to 23 cases as of Friday.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Friday that they are still considering whether to extend the strengthened distancing measures in the capital region beyond this Sunday.
Even with the current distancing measures, the number of cases is not sharply declining, so the government is planning to look at the numbers over the next day or two before deciding what to do.
The total number of cases stands at 21-thousand-and-919.
South Korea reported four additional deaths on Friday,... raising the death toll to 350.
Jang Tae-hyun, Arirang News.
