"Rapid Increase in Confirmed Cases" Seoul City Requests Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to Provide 300 Additional Epidemiological Investigation Personnel

Reinstallation of Seoul Plaza 'Temporary Screening Clinic' After 5 Months

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] To respond to the rapid increase in new COVID-19 cases, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has requested an additional 300 epidemiological investigators from the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) and decided to reinstall a temporary screening clinic at Seoul Plaza.

On the 8th, Song Eun-cheol, head of the Infectious Disease Management Division of Seoul, stated in a COVID-19 briefing, "There are currently 75 epidemiological investigators affiliated with Seoul City and 93 in autonomous districts," adding, "We are supporting 161 central epidemiological investigation personnel to the autonomous districts and are currently requesting an additional 300 epidemiological investigators from the CDSCH."

Seoul operates a 'Rapid Response Team' of 25 members to quickly respond to the surge in confirmed cases. Recently, five additional central epidemiological investigators were supported, and 12 and 8 personnel were assigned to Gangnam-gu and Mapo-gu, respectively, where the number of confirmed cases has recently surged.

Regarding criticism that the number of tests per confirmed case in Seoul is lower than in other local governments, Song explained, "The number of tests per confirmed case in Seoul was below 100 this week, but in the third week of June it was 130.9, and in the fourth week 119.2, maintaining above 100. The difference arises because the number of tests conducted independently by Seoul, such as at mobile screening clinics and proactive tests at municipal hospitals, and the number of tests registered in the autonomous districts’ screening clinic system differ from the numbers managed by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency."

Earlier that day, Lee Dong-jin, chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council of District Mayors, held an emergency meeting with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, noting the marked increase in confirmed cases in Seoul. He pointed out, "There are various reasons, but there is a problem with epidemiological investigations. Although Seoul has many confirmed cases, the number of tests per patient is very low compared to other local governments. This means epidemiological investigations are not being actively conducted."

Meanwhile, Seoul plans to reinstall the temporary screening clinic at Seoul Plaza, which was operated until February and then withdrawn, to raise the response level. Song stated, "Starting tomorrow, the temporary screening clinic at Seoul Plaza in Jung-gu will open, and by the 12th of next week, 25 additional temporary screening clinics will be opened." Seoul plans to increase the number of temporary screening clinics, operated separately from those run by autonomous districts, from 26 to 51.

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