Hampyeong-gun's All-Out Effort to Block Local Transmission of COVID-19

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] About a month after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Korea, the virus has recently spread nationwide, and Hampyeong-gun is making every effort to block the inflow of community infections.

According to Hampyeong-gun on the 26th, since the 3rd, the county has upgraded the emergency quarantine task force centered on the public health center to a disaster safety countermeasure headquarters led by the acting county governor, and is taking strong measures to block the inflow of infectious diseases by operating screening clinics (public health center and Hampyeong Seongsim Hospital).

The county first posted banners promoting personal hygiene rules such as hand washing and wearing masks in major urban areas and distributed about 30,000 portable hand sanitizers and masks to multi-use facilities such as senior centers.

Since the 4th, a dedicated quarantine activity team has been formed, and with quarantine vehicles linked to the local livestock cooperative (4 from the cooperative, 1 from the public health center), concentrated disinfection is being carried out at multi-use facilities such as the bus terminal and welfare center, as well as 133 local religious facilities including Shincheonji Church.

In particular, a thermal imaging camera has been installed at the Hampyeong Public Terminal, which has a large floating population, to check for fever in real time. If a fever is detected, a separate temperature measurement is conducted, and the person is immediately transferred to the screening clinic for a detailed examination.

Since the 25th, temporary suspension orders have been issued for local multi-use facilities.

Facilities frequently visited by outsiders, such as the Natural Ecology Park (including the Amphibian and Reptile Ecology Park), Ilgang Kim Cheol Memorial Hall, and the Shanghai Provisional Government Restoration Building, as well as resident convenience facilities such as welfare centers, art museums, and libraries, have been temporarily closed one after another starting that day.

Facilities for the elderly, such as public bathhouses, senior centers, and senior meal service facilities, as well as child and youth support facilities such as daycare centers and youth counseling welfare centers, will also be suspended for the time being.

However, for children aged 3 months to 12 years who have difficulty living independently, the county has decided to provide emergency childcare services through entrusted institutions.

Applications can be made at each eup/myeon office or through the Bokjiro website, and if the facility to which the child belongs is closed, suspended, or delayed in opening according to the Ministry of Education's decision, the period will be excluded from the government support time limit (720 hours per year).

Going forward, the county plans to use contingency funds to additionally distribute hand sanitizers and masks and conduct mass disinfection twice a month in all villages within the jurisdiction.

Starting next month, the screening clinic within the public health center will also extend its operating hours until 8 p.m. (originally from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.), further strengthening infectious disease surveillance and quarantine.

Na Yoon-su, head of the Disaster Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, said, “Currently, the county is concentrating all administrative power to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Until the emergency situation is resolved, all affiliated public officials will maintain an emergency work system without gaps, refrain from external business trips or vacations as much as possible, and we ask residents to immediately report to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency or Hampyeong-gun Public Health Center if they have symptoms suspected of infectious diseases such as fever or cough.”

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