'Post-Omicron' Reality: Temporary Screening Clinics Also Closing One by One

Operation Suspended at 22 Locations Nationwide from the 11th to 20th of This Month
"Considering Reduced Test Numbers and Other Demands Such as Events"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Temporary screening clinics nationwide, initially planned to be scaled down during the post-Omicron stabilization phase, are gradually closing one by one. This is because, after the suspension of rapid antigen testing at public health centers, testing demand has concentrated in private medical institutions, and as the scale of the outbreak has decreased, the volume of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at screening clinics and temporary screening clinics has declined.

According to health authorities on the 21st, since the suspension of rapid antigen testing at public health centers on the 11th, 22 temporary screening clinics nationwide have ceased operations: one each in Seoul, Daegu, Chungbuk, Gyeongbuk, and Gangwon; two each in Jeonnam and Gyeongnam; three in Chungnam; and nine in Gyeonggi. Additionally, seven temporary screening clinics are scheduled to close between late April and early May. Previously, there were 207 temporary screening clinics nationwide.

The authorities’ “Post-Omicron Response Plan” had announced that the “scaling down of temporary screening clinics” would be implemented in late May, but the process is occurring earlier than initially planned. This appears to be due to the significant reduction in testing volume at clinics that now only conduct PCR tests after the suspension of rapid antigen testing at public health center screening clinics and temporary screening clinics on the 11th. Over the past week, the cumulative number of PCR tests at screening clinics was 1,028,683, less than one-third of the 3,514,125 tests conducted during the first week of the Omicron outbreak (February 26 to March 4).

Accordingly, local governments, which operate the testing sites, have begun to reduce the number of temporary screening clinics one by one. As testing sites close, local governments can repurpose the clinic sites for their original uses. Seoul Plaza, which operated as a temporary screening clinic until 12 p.m. on the 22nd, will be converted into an outdoor library starting the 23rd. A Seoul city official explained, “The number of tests decreased, and Seoul Plaza is a space with other demands such as lawn replacement and events, so the decision to close was made.”

Authorities plan to adjust temporary screening clinics at the central government level depending on future circumstances. Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said, “We are operating (screening and testing sites) flexibly while monitoring the situation by region,” adding, “We will review the overall reorganization plan while observing the situation.” In response to the declining outbreak trend, authorities are also considering returning to a PCR-centered testing system.

Although positive diagnoses from professional-use rapid antigen tests are temporarily recognized until the 13th of next month, the accuracy of kit tests may decline if the number of confirmed cases decreases. The health authorities explain that PCR capacity is sufficient even if the number of testing sites decreases. Son stated, “Currently, we have the capacity to expand PCR testing to about 800,000 tests per day.”

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