Incheon City Implements Administrative Measures for Elderly Care Facility Quarantine Standards... Regular Testing for Workers

A COVID-19 confirmed patient is being transferred by ambulance to a designated central hospital from a nursing hospital in Guro-gu, Seoul. 2020.12.29
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City will implement administrative measures for quarantine standards targeting all elderly care facilities in the region starting from the 31st to prevent the spread of group infections of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The administrative measures apply to the heads, workers, and users (residents) of elderly nursing homes and day and night care centers.

Workers must undergo periodic proactive COVID-19 testing, and both workers and users must always wear masks indoors. Facility heads must check for suspicious symptoms among workers and users and ensure compliance with quarantine rules such as prohibiting visits to nursing homes.

Additionally, new users must be admitted only after confirming a negative COVID-19 test result, and all individuals within the facility must have their suspected symptoms such as fever and cough checked and recorded daily.

Workers with suspicious symptoms must be excluded from work and prohibited from coming to work, and users must undergo COVID-19 testing.

The city plans to impose fines on facilities violating the administrative measures according to the Infectious Disease Prevention Act (up to 3 million KRW for heads and workers, up to 100,000 KRW for users) and will also consider claims for damages and medical expenses.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Welfare issued an administrative order on the 21st requiring compliance with quarantine standards for workers at nursing hospitals, and on the 23rd issued an administrative order banning private gatherings for workers at elderly care facilities and others.

An official from Incheon City urged, "Since there is a high possibility of group infections spreading if confirmed cases occur in elderly care facilities used by senior citizens, special attention and compliance with quarantine rules by workers and others are required."

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