Social Welfare Facilities Also Closed Indefinitely... Reopening Date Undecided (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Along with the closure of kindergartens and daycare centers, the closure of social welfare facilities has also been extended indefinitely.

Kim Kang-rip, the 1st Chief Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, stated at a regular briefing held at the Government Sejong Complex on the 1st, "To prevent infections among vulnerable groups, the closure period of social welfare facilities will be extended until the recommended time to resume operations," adding, "The decision to resume operations will be made considering the level of confirmed cases and social distancing policies."

The originally scheduled closure period was until the 5th of this month. Since February 28, 99.3% (110,340 out of 111,101) of all social welfare facilities have been closed.

The recommended closure targets are the 15 types of facilities that were previously ordered to close: ▲ Community Child Centers ▲ Dahamkke Care Centers ▲ Senior Welfare Centers ▲ Senior Citizens' Centers ▲ Dementia Relief Centers ▲ Senior Day and Night Care Institutions ▲ Disability Welfare Centers ▲ Disability Day Care Facilities ▲ Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Facilities ▲ Senior Job Programs ▲ Disability Job Programs ▲ Self-Support Projects ▲ Mental Rehabilitation Facilities ▲ Social Welfare Centers ▲ Comprehensive Support Centers for Homeless Users.

Chief Coordinator Kim said, "The government plans to continue providing emergency care services even during the closure of welfare facilities," and added, "Facility workers will maintain normal working hours to ensure no disruption in service use, and services such as lunch delivery, welfare checks, and home visit support will be provided reflecting the characteristics of the target groups such as children, seniors, and persons with disabilities."

The timing for resuming operations at social welfare facilities remains uncertain. Chief Coordinator Kim explained, "The decision to resume operations will be made considering the level of confirmed cases and social distancing policies."