The government has ensured that thousands of coronavirus patients with mild symptoms in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province will be able to get the care they need at official treatment centers in the region. 

Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip, who doubles as deputy chief of the central disaster management headquarters, made the promise during a press briefing on Tuesday. He said all efforts would be made to swiftly secure treatment facilities for those living in virus hotspots.

He noted there were around one-thousand-800 patients in Daegu waiting to be admitted to such a healthcare center.

As part of the government's ramped-up response measures, the National Education Training Institute in Daegu opened its doors earlier in the day to patients with mild symptoms, under a revised treatment guideline aimed at providing care in accordance with the severity of a patient's condition. 

A total of 138 patients entered the facility, 97 of whom were previously under self-quarantine at home, while 41 had been temporarily discharged from major hospitals to make room for patients with more serious conditions. Another 22 patients were scheduled to be admitted later in the day.

Two other treatment centers in Yeongdeok and Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang, which can accommodate around 450 patients in total, were also expected to open for patients with mild symptoms while another one in Mungyeong is set to open within the week.

The Vice Minister Kim said the government will do its best to secure public and private facilities in the region so some two-thousand patients are accommodated by early next week.