An additional 45-thousand courses of Pfizer's COVID-19 treatment pill will arrive on Wednesday, as the government expanded authorization for its prescription at private medical facilities.

According to health authorities on Tuesday, the arrival of the latest batch of Paxlovid will raise the cumulative total since January to 163-thousand courses.

The government previously signed agreements to purchase pills to treat over one million people, 762-thousand of which will come from Pfizer. The remaining 242-thousand courses will be Molnupiravir developed by Merck Sharp and Dohme(MSD).

Authorities also authorized general hospitals, psychiatric clinics, and rehabilitation facilities to prescribe the oral pills from Tuesday.