Seongdong-gu Conducts COVID-19 Testing by Visiting Elderly Care Facilities Directly

Preemptive COVID-19 Testing for 691 Individuals at 19 Locations Including Elderly Care Facilities

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) is conducting a 'visiting COVID-19 proactive testing' for users of facilities protecting elderly people with mobility difficulties and dementia, such as nursing homes and day and night care centers, to prevent the risk of COVID-19 infection among health-vulnerable seniors.

Five doctors and nurses from the Seongdong-gu Public Health Center will directly visit a total of 19 facilities in the area: 6 nursing homes, 12 day and night care centers, and 1 short-term care facility, conducting on-site COVID-19 tests for 691 users and residents.

The testing will be conducted over 15 days from the 13th to the 31st, with about 50 people tested daily. The testing locations within the facilities are selected to be well-ventilated and close to the entrance. For bedridden patients, a separate space within the facility is secured, and the bed is moved to a safe location for specimen collection.

A district official stated, "Concerns about the spread of infections in elderly welfare facilities are growing, especially as group infections have recently occurred in day and night care centers in Seoul." He added, "Since elderly residents in nursing facilities are a health-vulnerable group with a high fatality rate if infected, we decided to conduct this testing as proactive prevention is essential."

Additionally, since the end of February, when COVID-19 cases first appeared in the area, visits to nursing home residents have been prohibited, but partial visitation will be allowed starting in July.

Non-contact visits will be permitted only for seniors suffering from depression, families with members on long-term business trips or traveling abroad, or in cases such as grandchildren enlisting in the military. Guardians wishing to visit must submit a visitation application to the facility in advance. Visits are limited to up to two family members and last no longer than 20 minutes, conducted through the facility’s entrance glass door to check on each other’s well-being.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "We aim to thoroughly block infection risks in advance by conducting proactive testing for seniors vulnerable to COVID-19." He added, "Above all, the health of our elderly residents is the top priority, and especially during difficult times, we ask everyone to do their best to maintain both physical and mental health."

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