COVID-19 Safe Zone 'Clean Haenam' Stands Out with Proactive Response

6 Months of COVID-19: Full Effort on Infectious Disease Control and Economic Protection Simultaneously

In May, Myeong Hyun-gwan, the head of Haenam County, inspected the road temperature screening site in Okcheon-myeon. (Photo by Haenam County)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do (Myeong Hyun-gwan) announced on the 22nd that it has maintained a clean zone by achieving quarantine results with no confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases.

While COVID-19 cases continue to occur in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions, Haenam-gun's maintenance of a COVID-19 clean zone is attributed to establishing a thorough quarantine system with full participation of all residents and preemptively blocking the spread of infectious diseases through proactive measures.

Haenam-gun operated screening clinics at three locations including the public health center, Haenam General Hospital, and Haenam Woori General Hospital, conducting a total of 1,309 medical examinations including 587 specimen collections, with no confirmed or suspected cases to date.

Over six months, 186 people including 178 overseas entrants self-isolated at home or quarantine facilities, with 173 having been released from isolation.

Before the full-scale spread of COVID-19, during the Lunar New Year holiday period, Haenam-gun activated an early quarantine task force, and 11 public, private, and military organizations formed a joint countermeasure committee to establish and operate a quarantine and medical system under close cooperation within the region.

They distributed approximately 456,600 masks along with hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and sterilizers, and the public health center continuously provided diluted disinfectants for voluntary disinfection to small businesses and private households, receiving positive responses.

In particular, Haenam-gun was the first nationwide to secure masks early during the initial COVID-19 outbreak and completed distribution of one emergency mask per resident.

Additionally, about 400 pregnant women received five masks each by mail, and 63,700 masks were supplied to local daycare centers, kindergartens, and schools, creating a calm response atmosphere amid the nationwide mask purchase frenzy.

From the end of March to early May, during the period of strict social distancing, a fever screening station was operated on the Okcheon-myeon road, checking the temperature of all vehicle passengers entering the county. Fever screening stations were also operated at the county office, terminals, tourist sites, and other locations to thoroughly monitor entry and exit.

Electronic entry logs (QR codes) were installed at 164 locations including the county and town offices, and for residents' convenience, drive-thru rental services were provided at the toy library and county library, receiving great responses.

Haenam-style economic quarantine measures to prepare for the economic downturn caused by COVID-19 also stood out.

Since February, Haenam-gun has implemented phased comprehensive emergency economic measures to minimize regional economic damage from COVID-19 spread and to promote early revitalization.

In the first phase, the regional economic comprehensive situation room was operated along with Regional Economic Activation Days, encouraging weekly visits to local stores and traditional markets, purchasing flowers from florists, and special events to promote Haenam Smile consumption.

In response to the COVID-19 spread, on April 6, a COVID-19 response emergency economic task force team was formed, and in the second phase, active support was provided for residents' livelihood stabilization through government and Jeonnam Province low-income consumption coupons, child allowances, and emergency living expenses.

Notably, Haenam-gun was the first in Jeonnam to provide all local business operators with the 'Haenam-style Emergency Management Stabilization Fund' of 1 million KRW each, totaling 6.256 billion KRW. Special guarantee fees and interest subsidies amounting to 9.53 million KRW were provided to 363 small business owners, and public utility fees worth approximately 970 million KRW were supported for 3,224 people.

Government emergency disaster relief funds were distributed to all 35,444 households totaling 20.255 billion KRW, and Jeonnam-style emergency living support funds were paid to 16,039 households amounting to about 5.3 billion KRW.

Emergency living funds of 96 million KRW for taxi workers, 4.5 million KRW for charter bus workers, and about 149 million KRW for 172 special employment workers, freelancers, and unpaid leave workers were provided.

Securing 2.6 billion KRW in national funds, Haenam-gun operates job projects for about 600 vulnerable employment groups including the unemployed and freelancers whose income sharply declined due to COVID-19, supporting livelihood stabilization.

Furthermore, the issuance scale of Haenam Love Gift Certificates was expanded from 30 billion KRW to 105 billion KRW, establishing a virtuous cycle structure to provide substantial help to the local economy, showing great results.

County Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan said, "The reason Haenam has been able to respond to COVID-19 without any incidents or accidents so far is thanks to the high level of awareness of the residents and the community spirit of caring for each other." He added, "I once again thank the residents for their cooperation and will do our best to support the emotional COVID-19 quarantine of residents as the social distancing level 2 situation is extended."

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