“Dad, I’m Here, It’s Okay” COVID-19 Mass Testing at a Gwangju Daycare Center

15 Confirmed Cases at Nearby Church... Close Contact Confirmed

On the morning of the 24th, a child at a daycare center in Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City is undergoing a COVID-19 test.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] “Dad, I’m here, so don’t cry and get tested. It’s okay.”

At around 10 a.m. on the 24th, the front of a daycare center in Sinyong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City was busy.

This was to conduct a full investigation of about 150 daycare center staff and children classified as close contacts after 15 people tested positive for COVID-19 centered around a church in Sinyong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju the previous day.

About 20 medical staff wearing medical protective suits set up desks in the daycare center yard and checked various equipment and movement paths.

At the entrance of the daycare center, yellow footpads indicating social distancing were placed at regular intervals without fail.

While the medical staff busily prepared for the tests, parents who had been contacted to have their children tested arrived one after another holding their children’s hands.

Perhaps due to the unfamiliar and tense atmosphere, the children tightly held their parents’ hands, and tension was also felt in the eyes of the parents, whose faces were half-covered by masks.

Two to three medical staff members stayed close to each child being tested, comforting them by saying, “It’s okay. It will be over soon,” but when the long swab was inserted deep into the nose, some children grimaced and burst into tears.

A parent watching from a distance tried to reassure their child by saying, “Let’s go eat Jajangmyeon after this,” but also grimaced as if they themselves were getting tested.

Parent Jeong said, “I thought COVID-19 had calmed down recently, but I’m worried it might spread again,” trailing off with, “I hope none of the children who were tested today are infected with COVID-19...”

Meanwhile, the previous day in the Gwangju area, 15 people tested positive for COVID-19 centered around a church in Sinyong-dong, Buk-gu. One citizen who was tested at a temporary screening clinic set up by Gwangju City Hall tested positive, and through epidemiological investigation, close contacts were classified and tested, confirming the cases.

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