Busan City Implements 'Winter Livelihood Stability Measures' for a Warm Winter

Winter COVID-19 Full-Scale Response and Community Safety Enhancement Support Focus

Comprehensive Winter Livelihood Stability Measures Promoted at Deputy Mayor's Meeting

Busan City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Busan City held a meeting of department and bureau heads on the morning of the 6th, chaired by Deputy Mayor Byeongjin Lee, to officially launch the ‘2022 Winter Season Comprehensive Measures for Livelihood Stability’ focusing on citizen health, welfare, safety, and daily life.

This winter comprehensive plan emphasizes strengthening community safety and restoring daily life through a full-scale response to COVID-19. It includes 28 policy tasks across four major areas: ▲strengthening infectious disease prevention ▲customized support for vulnerable groups ▲safety management in daily life ▲resolving inconveniences in citizens’ daily lives, to be implemented from December this year through March next year.

Key initiatives include,

▲‘Strengthening Infectious Disease Prevention’ area

To overcome the early resurgence of COVID-19, a mobile task force for nursing facilities and a dedicated rapid response team for infection-vulnerable facilities will be operated to enhance infectious disease management. Additional bivalent vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer) for high-risk groups and influenza vaccinations will be administered to focus on vaccination management during the winter season.

▲‘Customized Support for Vulnerable Groups’ area

In preparation for cold waves and the ‘endemic’ phase of infectious diseases, support for vulnerable groups such as homeless people, residents of small rooms, persons with disabilities, and elderly living alone will be carefully managed to establish a tailored winter response system. Using the welfare blind spot detection system (Happiness e-Eum), the city will expand the identification of at-risk households and provide emergency welfare support to vulnerable groups to stabilize their living conditions.

▲‘Safety Management in Daily Life’ area

For citizen safety, a joint TF team and comprehensive situation room will be fully activated to respond swiftly to natural disasters such as cold waves and heavy snow, establishing a rapid situation management and response system. To prevent wildfires and fires caused by dry climate, the Wildfire Prevention Headquarters (comprising 16 organizations) and 611 wildfire watchers will operate to preemptively remove wildfire risk factors in vulnerable areas and concentrate surveillance personnel.

To minimize traffic disruptions and resident inconveniences caused by heavy snow and icy roads, special management will be applied to expected traffic cutoff sections. Cooperation with fire departments and district and county offices will be strengthened, and inspections will be conducted to ensure sufficient supplies of snow removal equipment and materials such as snowplows, calcium chloride, and sand.

Additionally, focused inspections will be conducted on safety management at multi-use facilities, construction sites, cultural, sports and tourism facilities, and traditional markets during the winter season.

▲‘Resolving Inconveniences in Citizens’ Daily Lives’ area

Price stability for agricultural and marine products (kimchi vegetables, popular fish species) will be promoted through stable supply and crackdowns on illegal distribution. Cultural and sports services in daily life will be strengthened, including expanded support for culturally marginalized groups.

Measures for waste disposal and water and sewage management will be established and operated to respond promptly to unexpected situations caused by heavy snow and cold waves.

Deputy Mayor Byeongjin Lee stated, “We have prepared comprehensive winter measures prioritizing the protection of vulnerable groups and citizen safety amid the resurgence of COVID-19 and cold waves. We will do our best to ensure that all citizens can have a happy and warm winter through thorough preparation and swift response.”

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