Gyeonggi-do to 'Suspend' Rapid Antigen Tests at Public Health Centers from the 11th... PCR Tests Only for High-Risk Groups

원본보기 아이콘

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will suspend rapid antigen testing for COVID-19 at public health centers starting from the 11th, in accordance with the government's medical system reorganization.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 5th that rapid antigen tests will be conducted at 2,423 local clinics and hospitals within the province, while public health centers will only perform PCR tests prioritized for high-risk groups.

Specifically, rapid antigen tests will be available at 2,423 local clinics and hospitals, including 2,294 designated respiratory treatment medical institutions and 129 respiratory specialized clinics within the province.

On the other hand, public health centers will only collect PCR test samples for prioritized groups such as high-risk individuals. Priority groups for COVID-19 testing include elderly people aged 60 and above, those with a doctor's note indicating the need for testing, and epidemiologically related individuals such as close contacts.

Earlier, the government expanded the eligibility for home treatment outpatient centers to all clinics and hospitals starting from the 30th of last month to meet the increased demand for face-to-face medical care due to the surge in confirmed cases. The application process was also simplified from city/province designation to direct application by medical institutions.

Park Geon-hee, head of the Infectious Disease Management Support Group of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Gyeonggi Province plans to actively inform the public about the changes in the testing system through the official website and G Bus to minimize confusion among residents."

Meanwhile, as of midnight on the same day, the number of deaths in Gyeonggi Province increased by 50 from the previous day to 4,638. The number of confirmed cases in Gyeonggi Province rose by 69,364 from midnight the previous day to 3,953,289, with a cumulative infection rate of 28.4% among the entire population. As of 8 p.m. on the 4th, there are 6,919 hospital beds secured in medical institutions within the province. Currently, 3,206 beds are in use, with a bed occupancy rate of 46%.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.