COVID-19 Testing Available at Over 200 Local Clinics Starting This Afternoon

391 Respiratory Clinics and Over 200 Local Clinics
Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Testing Available
List Can Be Checked at Ministry of Health and Welfare and HIRA

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] Starting this afternoon, it is expected that about 200 local clinics and hospitals will be able to conduct COVID-19 diagnostic tests. The health authorities explained that by early next week, more medical institutions will gradually participate, expanding the number of local clinics and hospitals where COVID-19 testing is available.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced in a morning briefing on the 3rd, "From this afternoon, COVID-19 diagnostic testing will be available at about 200 local clinics and hospitals and 391 respiratory-specialized clinics."

The health authorities stated, "The Korean Medical Association provided a list of about 1,000 medical institutions participating in COVID-19 treatment, among which 343 institutions have confirmed they can start testing from the 3rd. Currently, about 190 of these 343 institutions can begin testing immediately today, and by this afternoon, approximately 200 institutions will be conducting tests."

Regarding the lower-than-expected number of medical institutions able to conduct tests, they explained, "After the Lunar New Year holiday, the demand for general patient care increased, making it difficult to treat suspected COVID-19 patients alongside other patients. Additionally, some clinics and hospitals require prior preparation related to quarantine standards, movement management, securing testing rooms, and waste disposal."

They added, "Because this coincided with the holiday, even though medical institutions applied for four types of protective equipment and test kits, there have been delays in delivery."

The health authorities expect the number of medical institutions participating in COVID-19 diagnostics to expand starting next week. They explained, "From next week through mid-February, participation is expected to increase mainly in otolaryngology, pediatrics, internal medicine, and family medicine departments, which see many respiratory patients. If 30-40% of these four departments participate, more than 4,000 medical institutions will be designated as COVID-19 diagnostic testing centers and will participate in testing."

Meanwhile, starting today, as the nationwide testing and treatment system shifts to focus on high-risk groups, general individuals who do not qualify for priority PCR testing can receive rapid antigen tests at respiratory-specialized clinics or designated local clinics and hospitals.

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