Incidence Rate per 100,000: Eunpyeong-gu Ranks 21st Among Seoul Districts... What Is the Secret to Eunpyeong-gu's 1-Year COVID-19 Prevention Success?

First Confirmed Case on February 24, 2020... Good Rent Campaign... Walking-Through Testing Separating Patients and Medical Staff Also Opened... Nation's First Visual Support Boards for Disabled, Foreigners, and Elderly Provided

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] On February 24 last year, Eunpyeong-gu (District Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19.

One year later, as of midnight on February 22, the total number of confirmed cases in Eunpyeong-gu stands at 1,101. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s statistics on confirmed cases per 100,000 population by region, this equates to 229.7 cases.

This figure ranks 21st in incidence rate among the 25 autonomous districts of Seoul. (Based on the January 2021 Seoul Metropolitan Resident Registration Population Statistics)

The first confirmed case in Eunpyeong was a patient at Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital. The hospital-acquired infection caused significant concern in Eunpyeong. In response, the district immediately activated its response system. Through initial measures, it successfully blocked community transmission and conducted exemplary quarantine efforts that prevented further confirmed cases within the hospital.

Eunpyeong-gu established a ‘Joint Management Task Force’ and an ‘Immediate Response Team’ to conduct thorough epidemiological investigations, enabling early containment of the spread of confirmed cases. This case was introduced by the World Health Organization as a COVID-19 response strategy. The management and response strategy for hospital cluster infections in the early stages of COVID-19 led to an even more rigorous quarantine system thereafter.

Whenever a confirmed case occurred, the district conducted meticulous epidemiological investigations to strictly manage movement paths. If the possibility of cluster outbreaks emerged during this process, teams were dispatched to the site to set up temporary screening clinics and conduct comprehensive testing. Close communication with Seoul City enabled the immediate formation of response teams, temporary closure of facilities, and emergency disinfection measures.

The testing system was also improved. Eunpyeong opened the ‘Eunpyeong-style Specimen Collection Room,’ introducing a glove-wall system that separates patients and medical staff during specimen collection through a walk-through method, minimizing infection risk. This also reduced medical staff fatigue, leading to improved services for residents.

As a pioneering measure among districts, Eunpyeong was the first nationwide to provide visual support boards for the disabled, foreigners, and the elderly. Recognizing communication difficulties during testing for these groups, the district equipped screening clinics with ‘picture letter boards’ and ‘visual support boards,’ receiving positive feedback from residents.

The public health medical system within Eunpyeong-gu was also reorganized. Collaborating with local medical organizations, over 770 medical facilities, and more than 830 pharmaceutical sales outlets, the district established a dense infectious disease management network and is preparing a COVID-19 white paper. Eunpyeong was the first nationwide to form a voluntary disaster prevention group, conducting disinfection activities at approximately 970 locations within the district.

COVID-19 brought an economic crisis, and Eunpyeong responded comprehensively to revive the local economy. From March to May 2020, the district made every effort to support traditional markets and neighborhood businesses, combining quarantine measures with the promotion of local consumption.

For example, A Restaurant, famous in 00-dong for its cuisine, saw its customers drop to only 25% of usual after it was revealed that a confirmed case had visited at the end of February. In response, staff from the 00-dong Community Service Center visited the restaurant in relay shifts. This was a case where Eunpyeong-gu employees led by example to demonstrate that with disinfection and quarantine, the place was safer than anywhere else.

From May, the district launched community contribution activities combining beautiful donations and consumption. Through the ‘Beautiful Consumption Campaign,’ all staff raised 40 million KRW, listened to the needs of various welfare facilities and organizations, and purchased and distributed necessary items from local traditional markets and small business owners.

In Eunpyeong, a ‘good landlord’ campaign naturally emerged when landlords reduced rent by 50% for four months for tenants struggling due to COVID-19.

In response, the district proactively signed a win-win agreement in January 2020 with landlords and tenants in Yeonseo Market to stabilize rent (for over five years) and promote mutual benefits, aiming to prevent displacement. The good landlord campaign has been continuously promoted. Voluntary participation by residents has been active, including relay donations, goods, and volunteer work making cloth masks. This is largely thanks to the power of resident autonomy, including resident participation committees that have continued for over ten years.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, stated, “When overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, the Washington Post praised Korea’s quarantine efforts in response to the public health emergency. Eunpyeong has spent the past year fighting COVID-19 through residents’ voluntary participation and public-private cooperation, and we will continue to mobilize all our capabilities to ensure thorough vaccination efforts.”

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