Joint Frequent and Surprise Inspections with Seocho and Bangbae Police Stations to Achieve Zero Violations of Self-Quarantine Obligations... Half-Price 'Safe Accommodation' for Families of Overseas Entrants Under Self-Quarantine... Dedicated 1:1 Officials for Quarantined Individuals, Testing for All Entrants, and Special Transport Measures
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Among the total 25 confirmed cases in Seocho-gu, 17 cases (as of April 1, 2020) are related to overseas arrivals, accounting for 68% of all confirmed cases, indicating the spread of COVID-19 imported from abroad.
In particular, all 13 confirmed cases since March 24 have been confirmed as imported cases.
Accordingly, Seocho-gu (Mayor Cho Eun-hee), which was the first in the nation to start COVID-19 testing for all overseas arrivals, has once again operated a joint police and surprise inspection team to eliminate blind spots in mandatory self-quarantine violations.
First, all overseas arrivals under self-quarantine must install the ‘Self-Quarantine Safety Protection App’ immediately upon entry and self-diagnose and input suspected symptoms such as fever and sore throat once daily.
As of April 1, the installation rate of the safety protection app among self-quarantined individuals in Seocho-gu reaches 96%, but it is still true that blind spots in managing overseas arrivals exist.
When the phone with the app installed is left at home during outings, or in cases where the person possesses a 2G phone or does not have a smartphone and cannot install the app, there is no way to confirm whether they have left the quarantine area. For more practical quarantine management, starting from the 1st, the district has formed 10 teams of three members each in cooperation with Seocho and Bangbae Police Stations to conduct frequent surprise inspections daily.
As of April 1, for 609 overseas arrivals under self-quarantine, more than 10% are subject to repeated surprise inspections without prior notice every day to thoroughly eliminate blind spots in self-quarantine.
Since it is a crucial time for entrants to strictly follow self-quarantine guidelines, the district is implementing more meticulous management and strong measures to eliminate blind spots in quarantine obligations and block community spread.
The joint inspection team visits the self-quarantine addresses to check compliance and informs that violations of self-quarantine may lead to prosecution.
The district plans to immediately prosecute violators under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act according to the ‘zero tolerance principle’ to protect residents’ safety if they break quarantine rules and leave without permission.
Additionally, the district has prepared ‘Safe Lodging’ for families of overseas arrivals to temporarily stay. With the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for overseas arrivals as of April 1, entrants with family members living together faced difficulties. Mr. Kim (Jamwon-dong, 24), who is self-quarantining after arriving from Germany, expressed concerns about possible family infections and subsequent community spread while living in the same space. A parent whose child returned from the U.S. also introduced overseas cases of self-quarantine using lodging facilities and raised various concerns and requests for related support measures, prompting the district to seek new solutions.
Unlike quarantined individuals who are isolated from community exposure, family members have no restrictions on outside activities, raising concerns about secondary infections within families and community transmission. However, overseas arrivals are required to self-quarantine at home or in designated facilities. Health authorities do not allow quarantine in hotels or lodging facilities, making measures to prevent spread among families of overseas arrivals urgently needed.
Considering this situation, the district has prepared half-price ‘Safe Lodging’ for families of overseas arrivals under self-quarantine. Through this, the district expects that if entrants self-quarantine at home and their families stay at separate accommodations, the risk of infection can be blocked, preventing community transmission.
In fact, on April 1, a joint surprise inspection by the district and police of 64 self-quarantined individuals found three cases of overseas arrivals quarantining in hotels, which were then ordered to quarantine at home. Families were informed that they could use safe lodging at up to 50% discounted rates at seven hotels within the district.
In particular, through this half-price safe lodging, the district expects that participating lodging facilities will have an opportunity to overcome the management crisis caused by COVID-19, and self-quarantined individuals and their families will be provided with safe spaces to maintain quarantine, resulting in a win-win situation for both lodging businesses and quarantined families.
Alongside this, the district has assigned dedicated public officials for one-on-one close management of overseas arrivals under self-quarantine. They monitor suspected symptoms, track locations via GIS, and check compliance with quarantine guidelines, planning to take immediate action if symptoms appear or if quarantine locations are breached.
Furthermore, the district is implementing special transportation measures for overseas arrivals to minimize their movement and prevent contact with general residents.
Entrants board the dedicated airport bus for overseas arrivals, which operates six times a day, and upon arrival at the base stop near Seocho-gu Public Health Center, they are immediately tested at the health center’s screening clinic. After testing, they either return home by private vehicle or, if unable to use a private vehicle, are transported to their homes by administrative vehicles and begin 14 days of self-quarantine. For those under self-quarantine requesting daily necessities, the district provides supplies worth approximately 100,000 KRW, including rice, ramen, and bottled water.
Prior to this, since March 13, when the first overseas contact confirmed case occurred, the district was the first nationwide to start testing all residents arriving from abroad, responding swiftly to initial cases.
Seocho-gu Mayor Cho Eun-hee stated, “We will do our best to prevent secondary infections caused by overseas arrivals to protect the safety and lives of residents,” and added, “We ask overseas arrivals to faithfully observe the 14-day self-quarantine after entry for the rapid end of COVID-19.”
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