Gangnam-gu, Seoul City Conduct Intensive Quarantine Inspections of Dense Facilities Including COEX and Department Stores

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] As of midnight on the 19th, 660,000 people in South Korea have completed their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccinations in Gangnam-gu are also progressing smoothly.

In line with the government’s recently announced second-quarter vaccination plan, Gangnam-gu will begin vaccinating 30,000 people starting in April, including residents aged 75 and older, workers at elderly and disabled facilities, and health teachers at kindergartens, elementary, and middle schools.

For elderly individuals with mobility difficulties, home visits for vaccination will be conducted alongside regular monitoring of those living alone to prepare for any adverse reactions.

Additionally, we have established an organic cooperation system with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and Seoul City to do our best to ensure the safe and swift vaccination of the elderly.

Furthermore, starting in May, vaccinations will be administered to 56,000 people including residents aged 65 to 74, healthcare workers, and teachers of daycare centers, kindergartens, and first and second graders in elementary schools. In July, vaccinations will be given to 280,000 residents aged 18 to 64.

Vaccinations for chronic disease patients under 64, police officers, firefighters, and workers caring for the disabled or elderly will be conducted in June.

To facilitate smooth free vaccinations, two vaccination centers have been established (Ilwon Eco Center at Ilwon-dong 4-12, Gangnam Tourism Information Center at Apgujeong-ro 161) and are expected to begin operations as early as next month.

By the end of this month, ultra-low temperature freezers for vaccine storage will be installed, and thorough preparations including simulation training are underway to ensure smooth vaccinations.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global cumulative number of COVID-19 cases has surpassed 120.91 million (as of March 18), with a concerning overall increase in variant virus cases.

In the UK, cases of variant virus infections originating from the Philippines have been confirmed, and in Japan, two men with no overseas travel history died from the variant virus, triggering an emergency.

In Europe, after a decline, cases have begun to rise again, leading to additional lockdown measures. However, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain have resumed AstraZeneca vaccine administration starting today.

Despite ongoing daily controversies regarding possible side effects of vaccines, the WHO states there is no link between vaccines and blood clots and recommends vaccination, emphasizing that “the benefits of vaccines currently outweigh the risks.” Our government has also stated, “There is no reason to suspend vaccinations, and they will proceed as planned.”

We ask all residents to continue trusting the government and to keep up the good work in the fight against COVID-19. Above all, please remember that even a small lapse in caution can lead to a large spread, and we urge you once again to actively comply with the government’s extended social distancing measures for two weeks, including the ban on private gatherings of five or more people.

Now, I will explain the current COVID-19 status and major policies in Gangnam-gu.

Here is the status of confirmed cases in Gangnam-gu. As of today, cases have been confirmed up to number 1427. Case 1426 tested positive after contact with a confirmed case from another region, while cases 1425 and 1427 were confirmed after symptoms such as headaches, but their infection routes are unknown and epidemiological investigations are ongoing.

Currently, Gangnam-gu is managing 1,093 self-quarantined individuals, of whom 571 are overseas arrivals and 522 are domestic contacts.

The cumulative number of tests conducted at Gangnam-gu Public Health Center’s screening clinics and temporary screening sites is 259,334. Yesterday, among 3,364 tested individuals, 33 were overseas arrivals and 3,331 were domestic residents.

Special quarantine measures for the Seoul metropolitan area to keep new COVID-19 cases in the 200s began this Wednesday. These measures strengthen quarantine efforts at multi-use facilities such as shopping malls and department stores, as well as among foreign workers. According to Seoul City, the proportion of foreigners among confirmed cases since January has risen to 6.3%, three times higher than the 2.2% recorded at the end of last year (November-December).

In this regard, since last week, Gangnam-gu has been conducting proactive on-site inspections of 13 tourist accommodations employing foreign workers and is providing guidance for 10,000 foreign residents in Gangnam to receive free testing and treatment.

On the previous day alone, 430 foreign workers underwent testing at Gangnam-gu Public Health Center. This measure aims to secure the health of workers and safety of workplaces and to proactively block community transmission, so we ask for the active cooperation of business owners.

As of midnight today, 463 new confirmed cases were reported nationwide, marking the third consecutive day with cases in the 400s. Sporadic infections continue to increase even outside the metropolitan area.

Additionally, over the past two weeks, the proportion of cases with unknown infection routes has exceeded 25%. This means that one in four confirmed cases could not identify where or how they were infected. Spring outing visitors are steadily increasing as well.

With the cumulative number of tests at Gangnam-gu Public Health Center’s screening clinics and temporary screening sites surpassing 260,000, 3,331 people were tested yesterday at the health center (1,885) and two temporary screening sites (1,446).

This appears to be the result of numerous small-scale community infections occurring in various places. At times like these, proactive testing following the infectious disease response principle of “early detection, early containment” is crucial.

We urge all residents to visit temporary screening sites or Gangnam-gu Public Health Center for testing if they experience any symptoms.

Starting Monday this week, Gangnam-gu has been conducting on-site inspections at 33 locations including exhibition halls, large distribution facilities, and traditional markets where crowds gather.

Additionally, joint intensive quarantine inspections with Seoul City will continue until the end of this month at densely populated facilities such as COEX, department stores, and shopping malls.

All Gangnam-gu staff remain vigilant and will do their utmost to protect the health and safety of residents.

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