Jeonnam Province Expands Operation of Temporary Testing Facilities for Overseas Arrivals

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province (Governor Kim Young-rok) has taken proactive measures to block community transmission of COVID-19 by expanding the operation of temporary testing facilities for overseas arrivals.

Jeonnam Province announced on the 1st that, in response to the government's mandatory self-quarantine for all overseas arrivals, it will operate training facilities within the province as temporary testing centers, where arrivals will be quarantined for 2 to 3 days while strengthening universal diagnostic testing.

Amid difficulties faced by many arrivals due to the government's sudden self-quarantine order for all overseas arrivals, this measure by the province is gaining attention as a model case that fundamentally blocks community transmission and alleviates the burden of self-quarantine.

Since February, the province had prepared five living treatment centers, including the KEPCO KPS Human Resources Development Institute, for mild COVID-19 patients, but due to a series of confirmed cases among overseas arrivals in the province, these facilities will be repurposed as temporary testing centers for overseas arrivals.

Accordingly, the KEPCO KPS Human Resources Development Institute (87 rooms) and the NongHyup Central Association Gurye Training Center (61 rooms) will be operated first as temporary testing facilities, with plans to add three more centers depending on the increase in admissions.

In addition, a special dedicated team will be formed to closely manage and support transportation from the airport to the temporary testing facilities, accommodation and meals for residents, diagnostic testing, and return home after discharge.

In practice, Jeonnam residents arriving from overseas will disembark at Incheon Airport, take a dedicated KTX train for overseas arrivals, and get off at Naju Station or Suncheon Station to enter Jeonnam’s temporary testing facilities, such as the KEPCO KPS Human Resources Development Institute and the NongHyup Central Association Gurye Training Center.

Residents will stay for 2 to 3 days to undergo COVID-19 diagnostic testing; if positive, they will be transferred to treatment facilities, and if negative, they will be placed under systematic self-quarantine management by the relevant city or county authorities.

Governor Kim Young-rok of Jeonnam Province said, “As infections from overseas arrivals are increasing recently, we have decided to operate temporary testing facilities to fundamentally block community transmission,” adding, “For the early overcoming of COVID-19, we ask residents to strictly adhere to social distancing and self-quarantine measures.”

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