Changwon Food Waste Treatment Plant Employees Return 'Home' After 31 Days

'13 Heroes' for Citizen Safety Shift from Boarding to Commuting

Employees of Changwon Food Waste Recycling Center, who stayed together for 31 days due to the COVID-19 situation, are expressing their gratitude for the encouragement from citizens along with Mayor Heo Seong-mu. (Photo by Changwon City Hall)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kang Sharon] Changwon City announced on the 25th that 13 workers at the Changwon Food Waste Resource Processing Plant, who had voluntarily chosen to ‘isolate’ themselves to protect citizens from the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), have returned home after 31 days.

The transition to a non-residential response system is a measure to prepare for a prolonged battle as the COVID-19 situation escalated into a pandemic (global outbreak). On this day, Mayor Heo Seong-mu encouraged, “Thanks to the employees who willingly endured sacrifices for the safety of the community, citizens were able to live with peace of mind. We will never forget our gratitude to these heroes. You have truly worked hard.”

In response, the workers said, “Although the isolation period has ended, we are still very worried as COVID-19 has not been eradicated, so our steps to meet our families feel heavy. Even after transitioning to a non-residential system, we will work only within the controlled access area without moving to other workplaces, strictly follow the emergency manual, and thoroughly maintain personal hygiene, disinfection, and quarantine measures to ensure that our efforts so far are not in vain.”

The employees of the Changwon Food Waste Resource Processing Plant are irreplaceable specialists who voluntarily began residential isolation on the 24th of last month to prevent COVID-19 infection. Their story became widely known nationwide through the media as a heartwarming example and became a significant social issue.