Donghae-si Appeals for a 'Temporary Pause' Amid Surge in COVID-19 Cases

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dong-hyun] Donghae City in Gangwon Province has issued an urgent public appeal to citizens amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

According to Donghae City on the 5th, 139 new COVID-19 cases were reported over two days, on the 4th and 5th, following the Lunar New Year holiday. In response, the city held an emergency countermeasure meeting and distributed approximately 45,000 copies of a public appeal to encourage participation in the "Pause for a Moment" campaign.

Additionally, measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 were established, including expanding personnel at screening clinics, closing various facilities, and requesting cooperation from institutions and organizations for quarantine inspections.

Through the appeal, the city stated, "Although the Omicron variant has a low fatality rate, its high transmissibility poses a significant threat to Donghae City, where 21% of the population is elderly. We ask for active participation in the 'Pause for a Moment' campaign to halt the surge in confirmed cases."

The city strongly recommended active participation in the third vaccination dose and vaccination for adolescents. It also advised proactive testing at screening clinics upon symptom onset.

The city has also increased quarantine personnel. The number of staff at public health center screening clinics was raised from 12 to 25, and epidemiological investigators were reinforced from 10 to 35.

While continuing quarantine efforts at multi-use facilities, the city will also persist in efforts to revive the local economy. Starting from the 14th, Donghae City will begin accepting applications for emergency disaster relief funds, providing 200,000 KRW per person.

The head of the Donghae City Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters emphasized, "In this unprecedented crisis, I once again urge everyone to actively participate in the 'Pause for a Moment' campaign by refraining from private gatherings for the sake of yourself, your family, and your neighbors."

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