Nowon-gu 'COVID-19 Rapid Response T/F Team' Shines with Remarkable Achievements

‘COVID-19 Rapid Response T/F Team’ Formed... ‘Self-Quarantine Task Force’ of 5 Members Monitoring Quarantine Subjects 1-on-1, Managing Unauthorized Departures... ‘Quarantine Supplies Support Team’ of 4 Members Focused on Securing Masks, Disinfectants, and Quarantine Supplies... ‘Epidemiological Investigation Team’ Tracks Movements Independently Until Results from KDCA and Seoul City Arrive to Alleviate Resident Anxiety... District Website and Phone Lines Receive Text Inquiries, Providing Text Services to 130,000 Residents to Resolve Questions... Collaboration Maintained with Residents and Professional Organizations, Focusing on Quarantine Activities... Saemaeul Quarantine Volunteer Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) ‘COVID-19 Rapid Response T/F Team’ is making every effort to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in the local community.

The ‘Nowon-gu COVID-19 Rapid Response T/F Team,’ formed last month, consists of three teams: the Self-Quarantine Task Force, the Quarantine Supplies Support Team, and the Epidemiological Investigation Team.

First, the ‘Self-Quarantine Task Force’ operates with five members who are responsible for one-on-one monitoring of individuals subject to quarantine. They closely monitor those in self-quarantine, manage unauthorized departures, and handle the receipt of medicines and delivery of daily necessities for quarantined individuals.

The ‘Quarantine Supplies Support Team’ is composed of four members. Their main focus is securing masks, disinfectants, and quarantine supplies, which are currently facing supply difficulties. Since early February, they have placed 500ml hand sanitizers in 2,999 elevators across 1,516 buildings in 253 apartment complexes within the district, and distributed 1.7 million masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The ‘Epidemiological Investigation Support Team’ independently identifies and discloses detailed movement paths of confirmed cases to alleviate residents’ anxiety during the time it takes for results from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and Seoul City epidemiological investigations. When a confirmed case occurs, three members from the audit office investigation team conduct on-site inquiries, movement simulations, and review CCTV and photos based on the confirmed individual’s statements. The investigation results serve as reference materials for epidemiologists or medical staff dispatched later for final decisions.

The district operates a mobile text message service application reception team even on holidays to prevent information blind spots. Considering that elderly residents find it inconvenient to apply through the existing website, 20 staff members accept text message applications via phone calls.

While disaster messages sent by Seoul City and others are limited to short messages with restricted information delivery, the district office’s general messages can contain up to 1,000 characters, allowing detailed information such as confirmed case movement paths to be conveyed.

Additionally, this service overcomes the limitation of existing disaster alert messages, which are sent only to all mobile phone recipients within a 10 km radius of the sender, meaning those at workplaces farther away might not receive the messages. As of the 6th, about 130,000 district residents have applied for the service.

Collaboration with residents and professional organizations is also smooth. The Nowon-gu Saemaeul Quarantine Volunteer Corps formed a mobile quarantine team on the 9th of last month, conducting quarantine activities throughout neighborhoods and requested areas using sprayers and foggers. They carry out comprehensive disinfection targeting places with dense floating populations such as bus stops, rest areas, subway stations, traditional markets, goshiwons, daycare centers, and multi-use facilities.

Resident autonomy committee members also contributed. The Resident Autonomy Quarantine Team, after prior consultation with the community service centers, designated quarantine zones for systematic disinfection. They sprayed disinfectants mainly on frequently touched areas in multi-use facilities such as restrooms, elevators, and door handles, and distributed COVID-19 prevention guideline leaflets.

As of March 4, a total of about 2,100 members of the private autonomous quarantine teams have completed disinfection of 3,416 facilities in the district, and professional quarantine companies have disinfected 339 locations. The private autonomous quarantine teams will continue their activities until the COVID-19 situation ends.

The district also signed contracts with six professional quarantine companies to focus disinfection efforts on vulnerable areas such as commercial buildings, subways, and goshiwons. The district has continuously supported the autonomous quarantine teams by providing disinfectants, masks, and other necessary supplies for quarantine activities.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “The Nowon-type COVID-19 strengthened measures are comprehensive response actions where the public and private sectors unite to prevent the spread of the coronavirus,” and added, “All Nowon-gu employees will do their best to protect the health and lives of residents from COVID-19.”