'COVID-19 Response White Paper' Featuring Distribution of 2 Masks per Nowon-gu Resident to Be Released

Focusing on "Solidarity and Cooperation," preparing the "COVID-19 Response White Paper" to thoroughly analyze, review, and document the entire process from the early stages to the resolution of the COVID-19 situation... When the Cotton Mask Volunteer Corps gifted President Moon Jae-in a cotton mask to support his efforts to calm the COVID-19 crisis, First Lady Kim Jung-sook responded by sending a letter of thanks and ginger syrup to the Volunteer Corps, boosting the morale of its members, among other stories included.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] As unprecedented efforts at the whole-government level continue to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infectious disease, it is extremely important to prepare for similar situations that may arise at any time.

Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is preparing to produce a ‘COVID-19 Response White Paper’ to meticulously analyze, review, and document the entire process from the early stages to the conclusion of the COVID-19 situation.

Although COVID-19 is still ongoing, it is judged that now is the time to calmly prepare for when the situation ends. Beyond simply recording the infectious disease response process, the focus is on ‘solidarity and cooperation,’ highlighting the tears, dedication, and regrets of many people throughout the activities.

The white paper will organize activities from the outbreak to the end of COVID-19 in the form of a time-based response log. In addition, it will include the formation of the task force, the establishment of specific sectoral cooperation systems, and Nowon-gu’s unique activities in the self-quarantine team and epidemiological investigation team.

It will also include the shining examples of public-private cooperation and heartwarming stories from various sectors during difficult times, showcasing residents’ efforts to turn the crisis into an opportunity for national unity.

What stands out in the ‘Nowon COVID-19 Response White Paper’ is Nowon-gu’s differentiated response strategy.

A representative example is the distribution of two masks per person to all residents, which attracted nationwide attention. In early February, when mask shortages peaked due to supply shortages, seeing residents lining up to buy masks, the district planned to distribute masks to all residents. This was the first such case among local governments nationwide. Judging that the life and safety of residents were a priority, the district purchased 1.1 million masks nationwide and had community leaders visit households to deliver them.

This helped somewhat alleviate the distress of residents who could not go out because they could not obtain masks.

The district went one step further. In a disaster situation caused by a disease where everyone becomes vulnerable in front of masks, socially disadvantaged groups such as elderly living alone and people with disabilities face even greater difficulties. Following expert opinions that cloth masks also have preventive effects against COVID-19, the district organized the ‘Nowon Cloth Mask Volunteer Corps’ to make masks for these groups directly.

Volunteers had to be sewing technicians, and there were many concerns such as whether it was appropriate to gather many people for work and whether volunteers would actually come. However, it was decided to proceed with strict hygiene measures.

The workplaces were divided into several locations, including the district office auditorium. Wearing masks at all times was mandatory, and volunteers were required to fill out a health questionnaire and have their temperature checked before work, and to sanitize their hands every time they entered or left the workplace for breaks. After setting these rules, a recruitment text message was sent out to gather volunteers.

The response was explosive. More than 300 residents gathered their will within a day of opening registration. The volunteers included former sewing technicians, shoe repair workers, laundry business operators, housewives willing to help with cleaning, university students, and people with disabilities, representing diverse groups. The volunteer corps grew to about 600 members, producing 1,200 cloth masks per day in two shifts at four locations, totaling 35,000 masks distributed to vulnerable groups.

The impact was significant. It became an international topic, being introduced not only domestically but also by the world’s four major news agencies AFP, UPI, AP, German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, and China Central Television. Foreign media said they wanted to show their citizens the Korean spirit of voluntarily offering time and labor in the face of national hardship.

When the volunteer corps gifted cloth masks to President Moon Jae-in, who was struggling to contain the COVID-19 crisis, the president’s wife, Kim Jung-sook, sent a letter of thanks and ginger syrup as a gift to the corps, boosting the morale of the volunteers.

Public-private cooperation cases involving residents cannot be overlooked. As small business owners suffered due to COVID-19, building owners shared the pain. This is the ‘Good Landlord Movement.’ Thirty-four building owners participated, benefiting 472 tenant stores. Rent reductions ranged from a minimum of 10% to full rent, applied for periods from one to three months, providing great support to tenants in crisis.

When the district office distributed masks to all residents, on March 16, an elderly resident visited the district mayor’s secretary office to express gratitude and donated 1 million won in cash. In total, 20 million won in donations were made from 103 places, including companies, medical institutions, and individuals donating protective suits, disinfectants, masks, and other items for quarantine use.

Also, general residents sent rice cakes, bread, fruit, pizza, beverages, and other items to thank health center and hospital staff and volunteers working on the front lines. They also donated handmade cloth masks, ramen, hygiene kits, and daily necessities kits to vulnerable groups, continuing the outpouring of love.

District office employees also participated. From March, the district mayor donated 30% of his monthly salary for four months to the Nowon Education Welfare Foundation, and all employees below grade 6 purchased 400 million won worth of Nowon Love gift certificates to help revitalize the local economy.

A major strength in the district’s COVID-19 response was the resident-targeted text message service. Unlike existing disaster safety messages limited to 90 characters, which could not provide detailed movement information, Nowon-gu’s text service was sent to 150,000 people who consented to receive messages on their personal phones. Messages of up to 1,000 characters could be sent, playing a major role in providing various information and urging social distancing to prevent COVID-19. Currently, Seoul has 567 confirmed cases, which is about one per 17,160 people. Applying this to Nowon-gu’s population, 31 cases would be expected, but the actual number is 25, indicating that rapid and accurate information sharing contributed to limiting the spread to some extent.

A differentiated strategy was also adopted to prevent infections from overseas entrants. At the end of February, measures for Chinese international students entering the country were swift. The district cooperated with six universities for special management. Most students stayed in their universities’ dormitories, but Kwangwoon University, which has many international students and difficulty securing housing, temporarily housed 160 students in accommodations arranged by Nowon-gu. Nearby residents were relieved of anxiety, and the university ensured students could safely resume their studies. One medical doctor and one nurse were assigned to the temporary housing, hand sanitizers and masks were provided, and the university dispatched interpreters and administrative staff to support them.

Measures following the mandatory self-quarantine for returning nationals from overseas starting in April were also swift. To prevent family infections due to self-quarantine, the district operates a ‘Safe Accommodation’ program allowing families to stay in local hotels if desired. The district and hotels cover most accommodation costs, with users paying only 20,000 won per day.

The white paper also pointed out institutional limitations at the local government level experienced during the COVID-19 response. One is the authority of local governments over confirmed patients’ movement routes. If decisions by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and Seoul epidemiologists are delayed due to increasing confirmed cases, public anxiety grows and serious situations may arise.

The best approach is to provide information as quickly as possible. Nowon-gu established its own movement investigation team before waiting for decisions from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and Seoul epidemiologists. Composed of the audit officer, media publicity department, and health center staff, the team investigates based on confirmed patients’ statements and CCTV footage. However, unlike epidemiologists, they lack authority to track mobile phone locations or check card usage history, reducing efficiency despite efforts. The district plans to request authority equivalent to epidemiologists.

The white paper is expected to be finalized over about two months starting when the COVID-19 situation calms down.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Whether national or local government, recording experiences becomes a great asset and enables proactive responses when similar situations arise later,” adding, “We will carefully review all processes so that this Nowon white paper can become a practical manual in the future.”

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