Night Heat Relief Shelters Operate from Late July to Late August During Heatwave Warnings, 8 PM to 7 AM... 60 Individual Tents Installed at Wolgye Culture and Sports Center and District Office Auditorium... 19 Community Centers Run Weekend Shelters During Heatwaves, 9 Welfare Centers Reopen as General Shelters
[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is operating heatwave shelters for elderly living alone and heat-vulnerable groups to prepare for the summer heat.
The heatwave shelters are operated separately as general shelters and nighttime shelters.
The general shelters operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays from the 11th to August 31st, and during heatwave warnings, the shelters operate during the same hours on weekends and holidays as well.
The target users are elderly vulnerable to heat and residents exposed to heat for long periods. The shelters utilize 19 community service centers and 9 welfare centers. However, welfare centers are currently closed due to COVID-19 and will be opened once operations resume.
Until last year, local senior centers operated as day and nighttime heatwave shelters, but going forward, they will operate as general shelters only when they can be opened according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare guidelines and when separate quarantine personnel can be assigned. Nighttime shelters will not be operated until the COVID-19 situation ends.
There are three nighttime shelters operating from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day during the peak heatwave period from late July to late August. Up to 150 people can use the rooms at the Noblesse Tourist Hotel next to the district office and the 50 rooms each at the dormitories of Seoul National University of Science and Technology in Gongneung-dong. The rooms are based on one person per room, but couples can stay together. The district office covers the usage fees. Forty single tents will be installed at the Wolgye Culture and Sports Center.
If the number of applicants for the three locations including the hotel and university dormitories exceeds capacity, 20 single tents will be additionally installed and opened in the large auditorium on the 2nd floor of the district office.
The nighttime shelter users are elderly living alone aged 65 or older and elderly recipients of basic livelihood security. Applications can be made at the community service centers, Elderly Care Support Center, Southern Regional Self-Support Center, and Nowon Senior Welfare Center.
Two district office staff members work at the nighttime shelters to prevent COVID-19 infection. They check mask-wearing, take temperature checks, manage user logs, and are prepared to respond immediately in case of emergencies.
Additionally, one staff member provides a 1:1 customized service supporting one elderly person to and from their home and the nighttime shelter.
Check-ins for elderly vulnerable to heat are also strengthened. About 2,700 elderly managed by the Elderly Care Support Center are targeted. Normally, calls are made twice a week, but during heatwave warnings, calls are made daily, and if there is no answer after three or more calls, a home visit is conducted.
Furthermore, all elderly living alone will be provided with summer bedding sets, and together with Seoul City, 257 customized care recipients will receive cool mat kits including cooling fans.
Nowon-gu, which first operated nighttime heatwave shelters nationwide in 2018, has 83,310 elderly aged 65 or older, accounting for 15.7% of the total population, among whom 22,100 live alone.
District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “With the prolonged COVID-19 situation and the expected heatwave, a difficult summer is anticipated for vulnerable elderly groups. We will prioritize the health and safety of residents and thoroughly implement COVID-19 response and heatwave measures.”
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