Seoul City Implements 24-Hour Emergency Response System for Lunar New Year Comprehensive Measures...Subway Operates at Holiday Level

COVID-19 Response at Screening Clinics, Infectious Disease Hospitals, and Living Treatment Centers, Fire and Disaster Preparedness
Midnight Bus and Taxi Normal Operation for Transportation Demand, Disinfection and Safety Inspection of Transportation Facilities
Early Issuance of 10% Discounted 'Seoul Sarang Gift Certificates'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 23rd that it will implement a comprehensive Lunar New Year plan focusing on ‘COVID-19 prevention’ and ‘livelihood stabilization’ during this year’s Lunar New Year holiday period, amid the risk of a resurgence in COVID-19 cases due to the spread of the ‘Omicron variant.’

Seoul City plans to set up and operate a ‘Comprehensive Situation Room’ on the first floor of Seoul City Hall 24 hours a day from 6 p.m. on the 28th until 9 a.m. on the 3rd of next month to promptly respond to emergencies occurring during the Lunar New Year holiday and minimize administrative gaps. The comprehensive plan will be promoted through 20 detailed tasks across five main areas: safety, transportation, daily life, prices, and sharing.

First, the COVID-19 response system will be activated and infectious disease prevention measures strengthened. The ‘COVID-19 Seoul Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters’ situation room will operate normally during the Lunar New Year holiday, and Seoul City’s directly managed testing sites, as well as screening clinics and temporary screening centers in each autonomous district, will be in operation. Infectious disease-dedicated hospitals and residential treatment centers will also operate continuously.

For managing home treatment patients, a 24-hour monitoring and transport management system will be established to provide non-face-to-face medical care, and a hotline will be set up among the city, districts, fire headquarters, medical institutions, and bed allocation teams to respond quickly to emergency patients. ‘Family Safety Lodgings,’ where family members living with home treatment patients can stay, will also operate during the Lunar New Year holiday. Additionally, an online campaign will be promoted to publicize Lunar New Year quarantine guidelines, and visitors will be advised to refrain from visiting municipal funeral facilities while disinfection measures for these facilities will be strengthened. Furthermore, pre-inspections for safety accident prevention and fire inspections for fire prevention will be conducted at construction sites and various facilities.

To meet the demand for public transportation during the Lunar New Year holiday, Seoul will increase the number of express and intercity buses and strengthen public transportation disinfection, including disinfection at major stations. Seoul expects an increase in outbound and return travel this year and plans to operate subways and city buses at normal holiday levels, while operating late-night buses and taxis normally to reduce crowding on public transportation.

In particular, concentrated disinfection will be conducted on peak outbound and return days at major stations such as Seoul Station, Gimpo Airport Station, and Express Bus Terminal Station, which are connected to metropolitan railroads, aviation, and express buses where passenger concentration is expected. Disinfection and sterilization of facilities within stations will increase from four to five times daily, and subway security officers will conduct special patrols to check mask-wearing. Emergency medical institutions, designated hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies will operate during the Lunar New Year holiday, and patrol mobile teams will strengthen activities to maintain urban cleanliness. The 120 Dasan Call Center will operate 24 hours a day to minimize citizen inconvenience.

Inspections will be conducted to prevent price increases in holiday shopping baskets and to eradicate unfair trade practices such as false origin labeling. Measures to revitalize local commercial districts and promote urban-rural cooperation will also be implemented. To stimulate consumption during the holiday, Seoul will issue ‘Seoul Love Gift Certificates’ with a 10% discount from the 24th to the 26th. Individuals can purchase up to 700,000 KRW per month. At ‘Sangsaeng Sanghoe’ located in Anguk-dong, Jongno-gu, a ‘Lunar New Year Special Exhibition’ will be held, selling 549 items produced by 218 farms from 16 regions nationwide at discounts of up to 38%.

Customized support will be provided to vulnerable and marginalized groups through consolation money and meal support, and the safety of high-risk households such as vulnerable elderly will be checked. Consolation money will be provided to basic livelihood security households and elderly and disabled residents in facilities, and meals will be provided to homeless people, residents of small rooms, and children at risk of missing meals to help marginalized neighbors have a warm Lunar New Year.

Kim Ui-seung, Director of the Planning and Coordination Office, said, “This comprehensive Lunar New Year plan aims to protect citizens’ health by preventing the spread of COVID-19 and accidents, and to ensure a warm and safe Lunar New Year holiday through livelihood stabilization in areas such as daily life, transportation, and prices, as well as support for marginalized groups.” He added, “We hope all citizens will have a safe and comfortable Lunar New Year by adhering to personal quarantine rules such as wearing masks and social distancing.”

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