Police on Emergency Duty for COVID-19... 'Eulho Emergency' Declared in Daegu and Cheongdo

221 Shincheonji Members Previously Unreachable Now Located

Commissioner Min Gap-ryong of the National Police Agency. / Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The police have entered an emergency response system for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), issuing an emergency duty order for Daegu and Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk, where multiple local infections have occurred.

On the 24th, Police Commissioner Min Gap-ryong stated in a written statement, "As the crisis alert level was raised to 'serious' the previous day, we issued a police emergency duty order at 10 a.m. today and switched to a full-scale response system."

Accordingly, the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency and Cheongdo Police Station were placed under Eulho emergency, while other regions were ordered to strengthen vigilance. Eulho emergency is the second-highest emergency duty order after Gapho emergency, suspending police officers' leave and mobilizing 50% of available personnel. Commanders and staff are also required to work at their designated posts.

Commissioner Min held a nationwide command video conference that morning, delivering countermeasures by function to provincial police chiefs and police station chiefs, urging proactive measures without being bound by regulations and procedures.

Additionally, quarantine measures for visitors to police stations were strengthened by consolidating entrances to civil service offices and information desks, and hand sanitizers and disinfectors were installed at main entrances. Visitors' suspected symptoms are also checked using non-contact thermometers.

In particular, to protect local police officers dispatched upon reports, when contact with infected or suspected individuals is expected, Level D protective suits are worn, and after on-site measures, protective suits are discarded and patrol cars disinfected. If contact is discovered afterward, health authorities are notified, and according to guidelines, contacts are quarantined and police stations disinfected.

The police also deployed 618 investigative and criminal staff from the Daegu agency to identify the whereabouts of 221 out of 242 Shincheonji Church members who were missing or unreachable as of 9 a.m. that day. After the 31st confirmed case, location information of 125 confirmed patients from the 18th to the 23rd was also verified and delivered to the Central Disease Control Headquarters.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that there have been no cases yet where the police have launched investigations for refusal of testing, hospitalization, or quarantine measures by health authorities.

Commissioner Min emphasized, "In response to government policies to end the COVID-19 crisis early, we will mobilize all capabilities to protect the lives and safety of the people."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.