President Moon Jae-in instructed national university hospitals on Monday to focus their medical resources on caring for critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Moon's order came as the country has seen a surge in serious cases, with the number hitting an all-time high of 1,025 on Sunday amid a shortage of hospital beds across the country.

"I ask national university hospitals to focus their medical capacities on treating critically ill COVID-19 patients," Moon said during a meeting with his aides, according to his spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.

The president asked that public hospitals in the capital area change their specialization to infectious diseases where possible, and that private hospitals support the effort by treating other patients, Park said in a written briefing.

"I ask that public sector medical workers be assigned to treat COVID-19 patients as much as possible," Moon also said, citing doctors serving in the military. (Yonhap)