Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Initiates 'Special Management' for High-Risk Facilities like Nursing Hospitals Amid Repeated Cluster Infections

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Gwan-woo] Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, is stepping up special management of nursing hospitals, which are infection-vulnerable facilities experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cluster infections. Workers are required to undergo diagnostic testing once a week until the end of the Lunar New Year holiday, and dedicated staff will be assigned to the facilities to strengthen management and supervision.

On the 6th, Gwangsan-gu announced that to prevent infections caused by nursing hospital workers, rapid antigen tests will be conducted once a week for workers at 14 nursing hospitals in the district, and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests will be shortened and conducted from every two weeks to once a week.

Nursing hospital workers will receive COVID-19 diagnostic tests at intervals of 3 to 4 days going forward.

Workers who test positive on the rapid antigen test, which takes 20 to 30 minutes to confirm results, will immediately undergo a PCR test again and be notified of the final confirmation status.

By conducting rapid antigen tests alongside single tests, it is expected that the infection status of workers can be quickly identified, which will also help block the spread of infection.

Gwangsan-gu plans to designate dedicated public officials for 48 high-risk facilities in the district, including nursing homes, facilities for the disabled, and elderly facilities. The personnel will consist of department heads from the main office and heads of administrative welfare centers in each neighborhood, ensuring 1:1 management and supervision.

They will monitor compliance with quarantine guidelines at high-risk facilities daily and conduct on-site inspections once a week. Inspection items include ▲basic quarantine rules (such as wearing masks) ▲management of workers' movement paths ▲separation of work by ward and floor ▲separation of shared spaces ▲prohibition of private gatherings, etc.

Kim Sam-ho, Mayor of Gwangsan-gu, said, “We expect to respond proactively to infectious diseases by conducting rapid antigen tests and PCR tests in parallel,” adding, “We will do our best to ensure that all citizens can return to a safe daily life as soon as possible.”

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