The government and the ruling camp are seeking to draft a larger supplementary budget plan on the COVID-19 outbreak than the extra budget earmarked to tackle the MERS outbreak. 

The chief policymaker of the ruling Democratic Party(DP), Cho Jeong-sik, said Monday that the extra budget plan is expected to be larger than the six-point-two trillion won plan drawn up in 2015. 

The government and DP plan will include costs to expand negative pressure isolation rooms and negative pressure ambulances, as well as testing and analysis equipment. 

They will also reflect compensation for losses that medical institutions suffer from implementing government quarantine measures. In addition, the budget is expected to include loans for stabilizing businesses and funds to support living costs of COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized or in isolation.  

The government and DP also plan to increase emergency funds by two trillion won for small-and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners to help them respond to the spread of the infectious disease.  

They are aiming to pass the supplementary budget plan during the extraordinary session period.