Jeonbuk Province Establishes Proactive Operation System for Heatwave Shelters Amid COVID-19

Jeonbuk Provincial Government Office

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Tae-in] Jeonbuk Province is making every effort to quickly reopen cooling centers such as senior centers currently closed due to the overlapping challenges of COVID-19 and heatwaves this year, while also thoroughly searching for temporary relief shelters.

According to Jeonbuk Province on the 15th, amid the closure of senior centers due to the spread of COVID-19, Governor Song Ha-jin instructed to prepare a proactive operation plan to provide cooling center services immediately once government policies are decided, and to actively respond to the heatwave.

Currently, there are a total of 5,117 designated cooling centers in the province to escape the heat during heatwaves, of which 4,585 senior welfare facilities, making up the majority, are suspended from operation following the Ministry of Health and Welfare's closure recommendation.

Especially with a record-breaking heatwave forecasted this summer, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Health and Welfare are preparing related operational guideline improvements to open cooling centers under strict compliance with quarantine rules.

Jeonbuk Province plans to first allocate a budget of 1.8 billion KRW to select quarantine managers responsible for overseeing quarantine rules at 4,858 cooling centers (including currently closed senior welfare facilities, excluding government offices and banks), ensuring visitors can use the facilities with peace of mind and thoroughly managing quarantine at cooling centers.

The quarantine managers will designate facility representatives who will safely manage the facilities through daily disinfection and frequent ventilation, manage visitors' compliance with quarantine rules, and check visitors' temperatures before entry. If abnormalities are detected, they will isolate the individual and promptly report to nearby public health centers to prevent infectious diseases.

Additionally, strict checks will be conducted to ensure compliance with COVID-19 quarantine rules such as mask-wearing by visitors, limiting facility occupancy to 50% or less of total capacity, maintaining at least 2 meters distance between users, and keeping visitor logs, thereby protecting the health and lives of residents.

Previously, Jeonbuk Province formed a heatwave T/F team to operate during the heatwave period, and each relevant department is making every effort to protect residents' property and lives.

To enhance citizens' heatwave response capabilities, the province operates and supports heatwave mitigation facilities such as 521 shade shelters, while health and welfare departments are working to protect vulnerable groups through programs like elderly care workers for solitary seniors and visiting health managers.

Kim Yang-won, Director of the Resident Safety Office, stated, “We will thoroughly respond to COVID-19 while ensuring there are no gaps in heatwave measures. We plan to do our best to protect residents' safety and minimize inconvenience.”

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