Busan City, 'Seamless Quarantine and Medical Response System While Maintaining Daily Life'

Operation of Screening Clinics and Temporary Screening Testing Sites

Operation of Q&A Site for Citizens Responding to COVID-19

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Busan City has established an emergency COVID-19 quarantine plan to prepare for the spread of COVID-19 during the Lunar New Year holiday period and to minimize citizen inconvenience caused by medical service gaps, and is taking thorough measures.

Busan City Hall.

The city has formed emergency quarantine response teams at 16 district and county health centers to maintain a close 24-hour emergency response system in preparation for infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19 during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

To minimize gaps in COVID-19 testing, health center screening clinics will operate continuously during the holiday period (operating hours 9 AM to 1 PM), and two temporary screening clinics at Busan Station and Busan City Hall will also operate normally (operating hours 1 PM to 8 PM) so that COVID-19 testing can be conducted even after health center screening clinics close.

Those aged 60 and over and priority PCR test candidates such as individuals testing positive on rapid antigen tests (self-tests) can receive testing.

To ensure rapid treatment of COVID-19 and prevent severe illness among confirmed cases during the Lunar New Year holiday, 195 one-stop medical institutions where testing, diagnosis, prescription, and hospital referral can be done in one place, and 117 designated pharmacies capable of dispensing oral COVID-19 therapeutics will be operated.

Additionally, four medical consultation centers offering 24-hour non-face-to-face telephone consultation and prescription services will be operated.

To enable a response centered on the general medical system, 37 voluntary admission hospitals will be operated. COVID-19 confirmed patients can visit hospitals, clinics, or emergency rooms directly, receive medical treatment from healthcare professionals, and be admitted to these hospitals based on the doctor's judgment.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, detailed information on COVID-19 testing and management, vaccination and adverse reactions, and daily quarantine rules will be provided to citizens through a ‘Lunar New Year Holiday COVID-19 Response Q&A’ document, which will be distributed to each department (institution) for active use during civil service consultations.

It has also been posted on the Busan City Hall website for easy access by anyone.

Lunar New Year Holiday Lifestyle Information Website.

Lee Sora, Director of the Citizen Health Bureau of Busan City, said, “This Lunar New Year is the second holiday without social distancing following last Chuseok.” She added, “As the COVID-19 resurgence continues, it is important to receive the additional winter COVID-19 bivalent vaccine booster and to comply with daily quarantine rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the holiday period.”

“Even during the Lunar New Year holiday, please strictly follow daily quarantine rules such as wearing masks, seeking medical care if COVID-19 symptoms appear and reducing contact with others, minimizing the size and duration of private gatherings, washing hands properly with soap for at least 30 seconds, practicing cough etiquette, and ventilating rooms at least three times a day to have a safe holiday,” she urged.

Detailed information on COVID-19 usage during the Lunar New Year holiday, the operation status of one-stop medical institutions and designated pharmacies, and other details can be found on the Busan City website’s ‘Lunar New Year Holiday Life Information Guide Site’ or the ‘COVID-19 Site.’

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