The government on Friday issued an administrative order to secure more hospital beds amid shortage concerns due to an ongoing spike in COVID-19 infections.

A similar order was issued last December during the peak of the third wave. 

Health Ministry official Son Young-rae said at a briefing that increasing hospital beds in the greater metro area featured as part of the discussions during a virus response meeting held earlier in the day chaired by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum.

Under the order, over 170 more beds for critically ill patients will be made available in the next two weeks. By region, Seoul will secure 167 sickbeds, Gyeonggi Province 344 and Incheon 83. 

The government believes this will help in the state's readiness to deal with as many as 16-hundred new daily cases coming from the capital region.