Yeongdeungpo-gu, Yeongdeungpo Hospital Operates 24-Hour On-Site Response Team

On the 9th, immediately after identifying confirmed cases in Gangseo-gu, Yeongdeungpo Hospital was closed and access prohibited... All 197 medical staff and patients tested... First round all negative, second round 1 positive, others negative... 22 placed under self-quarantine... Proactive disinfection conducted inside hospital and within 1km radius

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Chae Hyun-il) took proactive measures to prevent community infection by closing Yeongdeungpo Hospital and conducting comprehensive testing after a confirmed case related to the Itaewon clubs occurred on the 9th.

On the afternoon of the 9th, around 1 PM, the district identified that a confirmed patient from Gangseo-gu, notified by Yangcheon-gu Public Health Center, was working as an occupational therapist at Yeongdeungpo Hospital.

Accordingly, on the same day of confirmation, the district implemented measures equivalent to 'cohort isolation' for Yeongdeungpo Hospital, issuing a temporary closure order and restricting access, while isolating 80 medical staff and others inside the hospital.

Additionally, comprehensive testing was conducted on a total of 197 people, including the isolated individuals, hospital medical staff, and inpatients. The first round of testing was conducted from the 9th to the 10th, and all 197 hospital personnel tested negative.

From the second round of testing on the 13th and 14th, all 196 individuals except one (the 29th confirmed resident, a male in his 70s residing in Singil 1-dong) among the 80 isolated in the hospital tested negative.

The district also actively encouraged 504 outpatients who visited on the days the confirmed patient worked to undergo two rounds of testing through notifications.

Furthermore, an epidemiological investigation team was urgently deployed on-site to trace the confirmed patient's movements and identify contacts within the hospital. Through on-site inspections and CCTV video analysis, the team identified 22 close contacts, including nurses and therapists, within 9 hours of the Gangseo-gu confirmed case notification, and informed them of their designation as self-quarantine subjects.

As a result, despite one confirmed case within the hospital, measures were taken to prevent additional movement routes after the notification time.

The district classified 22 close contacts among approximately 700 Yeongdeungpo Hospital staff and related personnel as self-quarantined, and 269 others as under active monitoring to control the situation.

Also, a 24-hour on-site response team is operating in front of Yeongdeungpo Hospital, fully managing hospital access control, establishing control lines, and responding to various emergency situations.

Alongside this, the district initiated preemptive disinfection measures for the hospital and surrounding areas. Since the 9th, internal hospital disinfection has been ongoing, with professional disinfection conducted at five locations along the confirmed patient's movement path and the apartment complex where the confirmed case occurred. Disinfection was carried out within a 500-meter radius around the hospital, and water spraying vehicles disinfected main and side roads within a 1-kilometer radius.

The district also sent preventive measure notices to apartment complexes, welfare facilities, and multi-use facilities within a 1-kilometer radius, and conducted disinfection at public transportation facilities such as Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station and village buses, making every effort to establish a thorough community quarantine network.

Going forward, the district is coordinating with related agencies to implement dispersal measures by transferring inpatients of Yeongdeungpo Hospital to other hospitals in response to confirmed cases among patients.

Additionally, the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, which oversees the COVID-19 response, has shifted to a 24-hour operation system, with plans to conduct daily disinfection of nearby areas without fail.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, stated, “We are mobilizing all administrative resources to prevent the spread of COVID-19 originating from the Itaewon clubs,” and added, “By operating a 24-hour quarantine system including an on-site response team, we will protect the lives and safety of our residents.”

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