Gyeonggi-do Appoints 59 Additional Epidemiological Investigators

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province has additionally appointed 59 city and county public health doctors as epidemiological investigators to respond to the rapid increase in confirmed cases of 'Novel Coronavirus Infection' (COVID-19).

On the 4th, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung presented appointment letters to 59 city and county public health doctors (including Korean medicine doctors and dentists) as epidemiological investigators at the first conference room of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government.

The appointed epidemiological investigators will carry out epidemiological investigation duties in 31 cities and counties from that day until the COVID-19 situation ends.

The province assigned 34 public health doctors from the respective cities and counties as epidemiological investigators to 17 cities and counties. Additionally, 25 were assigned to 14 cities and counties where there were no existing public health doctors.

They will work as public health doctors at city and county health centers during normal times, and in case of confirmed cases, they will support in-depth epidemiological investigations and on-site responses in the respective cities and counties upon the province's request, proactively responding to COVID-19.

So far, as the number of COVID-19 patients increased, the province appointed 10 private experts and 12 public health doctors as provincial epidemiological investigators.

However, when confirmed cases related to the Shincheonji Church surged on the 18th of last month, causing a shortage of response personnel, 59 city and county public health doctors were additionally appointed as epidemiological investigators.

With this significant expansion of epidemiological investigators, the province expects to respond promptly to confirmed COVID-19 cases.

According to the current Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act, if epidemiological investigation personnel are insufficient due to the inflow or outbreak of infectious diseases, the city or provincial governor may appoint medical personnel as epidemiological investigators to perform duties for a certain period.

Governor Lee said, "If even one infected person is not checked, the number of infected people can increase exponentially because of that person, so it is the epidemiological investigators' duty to eradicate the root through accurate epidemiological investigations," and added, "I believe that hundreds, or perhaps millions, of lives and the fate of the community depend on the hands of the epidemiological investigators, so please carry out your given duties with responsibility, affection, and full effort."

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