Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop Issues Public Appeal to Prevent Local Spread of COVID-19
Significant Reinforcement of Epidemiological Investigation Personnel, Confirmed Cases' Movements "Directly Managed by Mayor and District Heads"
On the morning of the 9th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, along with Kim Dong-chan, Chairman of the Gwangju City Council, Jang Hwi-guk, Superintendent of the City Education Office, the heads of five district offices, and leaders of related organizations, jointly issued a public appeal to prevent the local spread of COVID-19 in the city hall briefing room. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] As COVID-19 community infections continue to spread widely in the Gwangju area, Gwangju Metropolitan City has decided to ban gatherings in enclosed, crowded, and close-contact places such as underground karaoke rooms and PC rooms.
On the morning of the 9th, Mayor Lee Yong-seop appealed to the public at a briefing room in City Hall to block the spread of COVID-19 in the community, stating, “62% (15 people) of nationwide community infection confirmed cases are occurring in Gwangju, and the number of confirmed cases is rapidly increasing. Many are asymptomatic, and the transmissibility is becoming faster and stronger, increasing the COVID-19 crisis situation. Citizens are urged not to hesitate even a moment if symptoms suspected of infection appear and to immediately contact the public health center for testing.”
Mayor Lee said, “In addition to the 12 locations designated by the government, Gwangju City has designated PC rooms, religious facilities, and all academies as high-risk facilities,” and added, “Among medium-risk facilities, game rooms, arcades, performance halls, indoor sports facilities, multi-rooms, DVD rooms, bathhouses, saunas, and funeral halls located underground with high density will also be designated and managed as high-risk facilities.”
In particular, he said, “Among the high-risk facilities located underground, places corresponding to enclosed, crowded, and close-contact, so-called ‘3밀’ spaces, will be subject to a joint inspection by related agencies starting this afternoon, and a gathering ban order will be issued. Although this may cause many difficulties for the businesses concerned, we ask for understanding that this is an unavoidable measure to protect citizens’ lives and the Gwangju community, and we ask for active cooperation.”
The mayor explained, “Gwangju City, the police agency, the education office, the medical association, the nursing association, and other related agencies will respond to the prevention of COVID-19 spread with greater tension, more meticulousness, and speed than before,” and added, “We will strengthen quarantine measures at each stage, including identifying confirmed and contact cases, epidemiological investigations, tracking and disclosing movement routes, and managing self-quarantine.”
Regarding the movement routes of confirmed cases, he added, “In cooperation with the police agency and autonomous districts, epidemiological investigation personnel will be significantly reinforced, and considering the importance of tracking and disclosing movement routes, the mayor and district heads will directly oversee this.”
He said, “Recently, confirmed cases have been continuously occurring in various areas such as private academies for civil service exams and saunas, increasing concerns and anxiety about the spread of community infections. Rapid infection spread shows that efforts by quarantine authorities alone have limits, and active participation and cooperation of citizens are absolutely necessary. With a sense of crisis and vigilance, please refrain from unnecessary outings and visits to multi-use facilities as much as possible for the time being. When going out inevitably, please strictly follow personal quarantine rules such as wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining a certain distance between people.”
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