The ruling camp and the government are said to be pushing for a supplementary budget worth 10 trillion won or more to help tackle the spread of COVID-19.  

An official of the Democratic Party told Yonhap News on Monday that discussions are being made regarding drafting a "super" extra budget plan. 

The South Korean government earmarked supplementary budgets in dealing with major epidemic threats in the past, including seven-point-five trillion won during the 2003 SARS outbreak and 11-point-six trillion won during the 2015 MERS outbreak. 

To enhance the nation's response to the latest health scare, the ruling bloc is also known to be mulling over ways to temporarily apply the status of small-and medium-sized enterprises(SME) to medical institutions.

The DP official said such a move is being considered in order to provide government support to hospitals and other medical facilities. The official cited that medical institutions had been excluded from getting government support as they do not fall under the category of SMEs that are subject to such aid.  

The official stressed that the move does not aim to change the legal status of medical institutions and was devised in line with a consensus that a special measure is needed with the government raising its alert status on the novel coronavirus to the highest "serious" level.  

To this end, the DP and government will come up with substantial criteria for medical institutions that will receive the temporary status change and are mulling ways to include related support measures in the supplementary budget plan.