Gangnam-gu Surpasses 10,000 COVID-19 Specimen Tests Conducted

68 Early Detected Cases, Local Government's First Infectious Disease Control Center Under Review ... District Mayor Jeong Soon-gyun Pledges "Thorough Management"

Gangnam-gu Public Health Center Screening Clinic

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Jeong Soon-gyun) recorded 10,268 specimen tests on the 19th through bold preemptive measures against COVID-19 and special management of overseas arrivals, becoming the first basic local government nationwide, excluding the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions where a large number of confirmed cases occurred at the Shincheonji Church, to surpass 10,000 tests.

This number accounts for 10% of the total tests conducted in Seoul (100,643 tests as of the 19th), the highest among the 25 autonomous districts in Seoul, surpassing metropolitan autonomous entities such as Sejong Special Self-Governing City (5,807 tests), Jeju Province (9,098 tests), Ulsan Metropolitan City (9,499 tests), and Jeollabuk-do (9,390 tests), and is comparable to Gwangju Metropolitan City (11,134 tests).

Gangnam-gu surpassed 10,000 tests based on the infectious disease response principle of ‘early diagnosis and prevention of spread’ by ▲testing all residents of the same apartment complex, nearby residents, and workplace colleagues regardless of symptoms after confirming the movement paths of confirmed cases, ▲conducting dual tests before and after self-quarantine for overseas arrivals, ▲performing weekly sampling tests on elderly residents and workers at vulnerable facilities such as nursing homes and daycare centers, and ▲proactively testing all 70,000 regular workers in local businesses and willing residents from other regions, unlike other local governments.

Since operating the public health center screening clinic from January 28, Gangnam-gu is the only one among Seoul’s 25 districts to operate it 24 hours a day. From late February, before the full-scale spread of COVID-19, it conducted an average of 200 specimen tests daily, discovering 68 confirmed cases early, including 62 residents and 6 non-residents, thereby preventing the spread of infection in advance.

So far, Gangnam-gu has deployed 11 medical staff and installed three additional negative pressure tents besides a standalone building equipped with a negative pressure treatment room, testing a total of 10,268 people including 3,100 overseas arrivals, 5,000 people potentially exposed to confirmed cases, 400 nursing facility users, and 1,300 people released from self-quarantine.

Gangnam-gu identifies overseas arrivals in advance, transports them from Incheon Airport to the public health center by limousine bus, conducts specimen tests, and then sends them home individually by ambulance, minimizing movement paths in preparation for any emergencies.

Additionally, Gangnam-gu focuses on managing self-quarantine by conducting retests within three days after release for all overseas arrivals from Europe, the United States, and other regions.

Looking ahead, Gangnam-gu is considering establishing an Infectious Disease Management Center by expanding and reorganizing screening clinics to integrate infectious disease information through cooperation with related agencies and to enable preemptive responses such as early containment of local infections in case of outbreaks.

District Mayor Jeong Soon-gyun stated, “Gangnam-gu has been operating under an emergency work system for 85 days since January 26, dedicating itself to preemptive responses such as quarantine activities using 12.6 billion KRW from the disaster management fund to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Although Gangnam-gu has the highest number of confirmed cases among Seoul’s districts due to its relatively high population density and large economically active and floating populations like New York City, there have been no locally transmitted cases within Gangnam-gu itself so far.”

He added, “Currently, out of 1,741 people under self-quarantine in Gangnam-gu, all but 10 are overseas arrivals. This number is two to three times higher than other regions, requiring thorough management. Also, since eight people tested positive after being released from self-quarantine recently, indicating many asymptomatic cases, those released from self-quarantine must undergo retesting, and residents are urged to strictly observe social distancing and personal hygiene rules.”

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