As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is growing in Jeju, the negative pressure room occupancy rate has reached the ceiling.
All of the nine rooms at the Jeju National University Hospital are in use, and the hospital is at full capacity for COVID-19 treatment.
The province has added more beds at the Seogwipo Medical Center and will also be categorizing patients into mild and serious cases.
Todd Thacker reports.

On Jeju Island, COVID-19 patients are taken to negative pressure rooms at Jeju National University Hospital.
But two recent cases stemming from an outbreak at a guest house in (남원읍) Namwon-eup have been isolated and treated at Seogwipo Medical Center.


All nine of the negative pressure rooms at Jeju National University Hospital are now in use after a recent surge in COVID-19 patients.
The province says that the COVID-19 patients in Namwon-eup were taken to negative pressure rooms at Seogwipo Medical Center given its closer location and fact that JNU Hospital is at capacity.

INTERVIEW
Bae Jong-myon / Representative, Jeju Province
The occupancy rate of the negative pressure rooms at JNU Hospital is reaching its limit. Therefore, we directed the patients to Seogwipo Medical Center.
배종면/제주도 감염병관리지원단장
지금 제주대병원 음압 병실이 거의 만실입니다. 그래서 더 이상 들어갈 수 없는 상황이어서 바로 서귀포의료원으로 이송해서 격리조치한 것입니다.."


The number of the confirmed cases has soared over the last few weeks.
And now the island is running out of negative pressure rooms.
A plan is in place for the province to add 22 more negative pressure rooms at JNU Hospital and 14 more at Seogwipo Medical Center.


The addition of negative pressure rooms at Jeju Medical Center is under discussion as well.


Once the planned additions are made, the province will separate patients into two groups: patients with mild symptoms and serious cases where the patient may require intensive care.

Patients aged 65 and above and those with underlying illnesses will be classified as serious cases and taken to the JNU Hospital.
Younger patients and asymptomatic patients will be taken to Seogwipo Medical Center or Jeju Medical Center.
If the daily number of confirmed cases exceeds 50, the province will open a treatment center for up to 300 mild cases.

This means that the severity of symptoms will determine which facility a patient is taken to.


Provincial officials added that as of now there are no plans to displace regular hospital patients and convert 370 hospital beds into specialized COVID-19 treatment wards.

Todd Thacker, KCTV