Hwasun-gun Activates Medical Quarantine System to Respond to Omicron Variant

[Hwasun=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Ji-woon] Jeollanam-do Hwasun-gun announced on the 25th that it will officially operate the Omicron response quarantine medical system starting from the 26th.

The transition of the quarantine system is a measure in accordance with the government's policy.

The government classified Jeollanam-do, Gwangju Metropolitan City, and the cities of Pyeongtaek and Anseong in Gyeonggi-do as four Omicron dominant areas and decided to implement the reorganized quarantine system from the 26th.

Accordingly, from the 26th, the county plans to conduct rapid antigen tests (self-diagnostic tests) alongside the existing PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests at the Hwasun-gun Public Health Center screening clinic.

Only high-risk groups such as the elderly, close contacts, and priority test subjects under administrative orders will receive PCR tests.

The PCR test subjects include ▲ those aged 60 or older ▲ those who have been issued a medical opinion stating the necessity of a PCR test ▲ those requested by the public health center to take a PCR test due to close contact or other reasons ▲ those who tested positive in the rapid antigen test.

Workers at infection-vulnerable facilities who must undergo periodic diagnostic tests under administrative orders will also receive PCR tests.

In other cases, rapid antigen tests (self-diagnostic tests) can be taken at the public health center screening clinic or designated respiratory clinics (Hwasun Seongsim Hospital).

If the rapid antigen test result is positive, a PCR test will be promptly conducted.

The county will assign personnel for test management and guidance at the public health center screening clinic, conduct rapid antigen tests, interpret the results after about 5 to 10 minutes, and issue rapid antigen negative confirmation certificates.

According to government policy, isolation guidelines for confirmed cases and close contacts will also change. The isolation period varies depending on vaccination status.

Those who have completed vaccination are exempt from isolation even if they have had close contact with a confirmed case and will be classified as passive monitoring subjects.

Unvaccinated persons or those who do not meet the vaccination completion criteria and are classified as close contacts must self-isolate for 7 days.

Confirmed cases and close contacts should follow the guidance of the public health center.

A county official said, “The Omicron detection rate in the Honam region over the past week has been as high as 82.3%, indicating a very dangerous spread of Omicron,” and added, “We will swiftly transition to the Omicron quarantine medical system and focus administrative efforts on curbing the spread.”

He continued, “In Hwasun alone, 57 new confirmed cases occurred in January, and the scale of confirmed cases in Jeonnam and Gwangju has also reached an all-time high,” urging, “Please refrain from visiting hometowns and traveling during the Lunar New Year holiday as much as possible, and actively participate in the third vaccination and preemptive diagnostic testing.”

Hwasun=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Ji-woon rosaria0704@asiae.co.kr

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