The government said on Friday that it will prepare a medical response plan to accommodate an outbreak of Covid-19 confirmed patients of around 200,000 a day expected in winter.

Government and quarantine officials estimate that due to the inflow of new mutations and low level of additional vaccinations, the maximum daily number of confirmed cases could be between 50,000 and 200,000 this winter.

Accordingly, 200,000 beds will be secured mainly across tertiary general hospitals and large general hospitals with high treatment capacity to respond to severe and semi-severe conditions, the government said. 

Among the 200,000 beds, some will be assigned to elderly patients at dedicated nursing facilities.

The government also urged additional vaccinations during the winter season, especially for vulnerable individuals residing in nursing hospitals and facilities which they will incentivize by assigning additional points to facilities with excellent vaccination records.

Additionally, health insurance fees being paid for Covid-19 home treatment medical counseling, outpatient treatment, and inpatient treatment, originally scheduled to expire on Nov. 30, will be extended until Dec 31.

However, from January next year, Covid-19 treatment fees will be adjusted at a level of 50-100 percent compared to the current level, considering the epidemic situation and support needs of each individual.

On Friday, Korea added 53,698 new Covid-19 infections, bringing the total caseload to 26,837,840, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The nation also reported 55 more Covid-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 30,278 and the number of critically ill patients rose to 453, up by 16 from the previous day, the KDCA said.

Additionally, about 44.69 million among 52 million Koreans have been fully vaccinated, 33.7 million people had received their first booster shots, and 7.58 million had their second booster shots.