The resurging COVID-19 pandemic seems to be scoffing at the Moon Jae-in administration's efforts to ensure public health with expedient measures. Yet the government is still reluctant to take tougher action, raising concerns that the country's healthcare system could collapse.
The coronavirus situation is getting worse as the number of daily new infections stood at 7,102 Thursday, increasing the total caseload to 496,584. The figure stayed above 7,000 for the second straight day after hitting an all-time high of 7,174 the previous day. The upsurge was surprising and too rapid, compared with 5,352 new cases reported last Saturday.
The spread of the new Omicron variant is another cause for concern. The health authorities confirmed 22 Omicron cases Thursday, raising the total caseload to 60. Some doctors said that the new strain has already begun to spread in local communities after the first cases of the highly contagious variant were reported here Dec. 1.
More problematic is the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients which surged to a record high of 857, up 17 from a daily earlier. The death toll also jumped sharply to 57 with the accumulated toll reaching 4,077. All these show that the nation's already-overstretched medical system is reaching a critical point where hospitals will not be able to accommodate any more coronavirus patients.
Most of the hospital beds set aside for critically ill coronavirus patients are now already occupied. In this situation, there are growing worries that more and more patients may die while waiting for treatment if the number of new cases rises further. Medical experts warn that the number could soar to 10,000 per day by the end of this month and even to 20,000 early next year.
The Moon administration should pay more heed to these warning signs if it wants to bring the pandemic under control. Complacency is the biggest enemy in the uphill battle against the virus. It is hard to understand why the government is hesitating to enact stricter quarantine and social distancing rules.
It is wrong for the administration to stick to its “Living with COVID-19” strategy to push for a gradual return to normal life. The situation has taken a turn for the worse since the country adopted the scheme on Nov. 1. Now is the time to take a step backward to better respond to the new virus wave this winter. Policymakers should not repeat the mistake of taking belated action and putting the people's health at risk.
First of all, it is urgent to reintroduce tougher social distancing guidelines and stricter restrictions on the operation of restaurants, bars, nightclubs and other entertainment facilities. It is also necessary to speed up the administration of booster shots, particularly for the elderly and other high-risk groups.
More than anything else, the Moon administration must go all-out to prevent potential disruptions to the healthcare system. For this, it should double down on making more hospital beds available for seriously ill COVID-19 patients. It is also imperative to provide more doctors and nurses to take better care of patients, and protect them from the pandemic.