Increase in Police Infection Confirmed and Suspected Cases... Emergency in Security and Quarantine

4 Confirmed Nationwide, Facility Closures and Quarantines Increase
Workload Intensifies at Adjacent Police Substations
30,000 Personnel Support Quarantine Tasks, Staffing Gaps Feared
45,000 Protective Suits Secured, Enhanced Disinfection at Stations

The back door of the Civil Complaints Office at Daegu Dongbu Police Station was closed on the 24th due to COVID-19.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] As frontline police officers have been consecutively diagnosed with COVID-19, and temporary closures of police substations and precincts continue, the police are on high alert. With a large number of officers deployed for quarantine duties, there is growing concern about potential gaps in both public safety and quarantine efforts.

According to the National Police Agency on the 26th, as of that morning, a total of four police officers and employees of police-affiliated institutions tested positive for COVID-19. Following the confirmed case of a police officer from the Siheung Police Station in Gyeonggi Province on the 24th, one officer each from the Daegu Dongbu Police Station and Seongseo Police Station also tested positive. Additionally, a nurse working in the emergency room of the National Police Hospital located in Garak-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, was confirmed positive, leading to the emergency room's urgent closure.

At frontline police stations and substations, there have been cases where officers who had contact with suspected infected persons or showed COVID-19 related symptoms resulted in temporary facility closures or staff quarantines. On the 25th, a police officer at the Namseong Substation of the Dongjak Police Station in Seoul showed suspicious symptoms, leading to the substation's temporary closure. At the Hwagok Substation of the Gangseo Police Station in Seoul, one staff member exhibited fever symptoms, causing a temporary closure and quarantine of 18 employees. Normal operations resumed only after the staff member tested negative. Although these closures are temporary, during such times, other substations and precincts must provide support, inevitably increasing the workload of frontline officers.

As police officers continue to be exposed to COVID-19 risks, concerns are rising not only about public safety but also about gaps in quarantine duties. So far, more than 30,000 personnel have been involved in supporting quarantine stations, guarding isolation facilities, and dispatching to quarantine authorities in relation to COVID-19. The police's support for quarantine work is expected to increase further.

In response to the situation, the police are actively preparing countermeasures. The National Police Agency recently secured an additional 8,000 protective suits, delivering a total of 45,000 suits to frontline units. However, since the suits must be discarded after a single use, the supply cannot be considered ample. A National Police Agency official explained, "We plan to establish specific protective suit-wearing regulations according to the situation."

Furthermore, police station entrances have been unified to customer service and information desks, with non-contact thermometers and hand sanitizers installed at main entrances to check for symptoms. Quarantine measures at entry points have been strengthened. When it is confirmed that an infected or suspected person has come into contact with police officers in the field, contact quarantine and station disinfection are promptly carried out. National Police Chief Min Gap-ryong emphasized, "We will mobilize all capabilities to protect the lives and safety of the people and bring an early end to the COVID-19 crisis."

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