"We Overcame Like This"… 'Yeoju-si Rapid PCR' Draws Attention from Local Government Heads Nationwide

Introduction of Rapid PCR, Testing Over 45,000 People... Detected 19 Asymptomatic Cases
National Association of Mayors, County Chiefs, and District Heads Shows Interest from Capital, Chungcheong, and Gangwon Regions
Proven Effectiveness in Blocking Large-Scale Cluster Infections... Evaluated as a Success in Quarantine

Yihangjin, Mayor of Yeoju City, is presenting COVID-19 overcoming cases to local government heads nationwide on the 25th. [Provided by Yeoju City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Youngcheol Ra] The COVID-19 overcoming case of Yeoju City in Gyeonggi Province is attracting attention from mayors, county governors, and district heads nationwide.

In December last year, Yeoju City became the first in the country to introduce and pilot the 'Rapid PCR Test,' which allows for quicker confirmation of COVID-19 test results.

The 'Rapid PCR Test' combines the high diagnostic accuracy of the 'PCR' method with the quick results of the 'antigen test,' and Yeoju City has been the only local government nationwide to implement it.

In particular, since the introduction of the 'Rapid PCR' test in December last year, the city has operated a 'Rapid PCR Mobile Testing Center' targeting large local facilities such as Yeoju Prison, Daesoon Jinrihoe Yeoju Headquarters Dojang, KCC Yeoju Factory, Yeoju Premium Outlets, elderly care facilities, and transportation workers, testing a total of over 45,000 people to date and identifying 19 asymptomatic infected individuals.

As Yeoju City's COVID-19 overcoming case became known, it attracted the attention of 226 local government heads nationwide at the 'One Year of COVID-19, Welcoming the Spring of the Economy' forum held on the 25th at the Jeongdong Art Center in Seoul, co-hosted by National Assembly member Youngbae Kim (Democratic Party) and the National Association of Mayors, County Governors, and District Heads.

Presenters included Yeoju Mayor Hangjin Lee, who shared the local government's COVID-19 overcoming case; Professor Yoon Kim of Seoul National University College of Medicine, who recently suggested the inefficiency and need for reform of social distancing; Gwangsan District Mayor Samho Kim of Gwangju; and Youngsoo Kim, Social Welfare Policy Officer of the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

Mayor Hangjin Lee, the protagonist of the overcoming case, explained, "The only solution to the public's accumulated fatigue from social distancing and escaping the economic recession is the Rapid PCR test," adding, "By securing stability based on the highly accurate PCR and processing everything from sample collection to results on-site in a one-stop manner, while individual infections of COVID-19 cannot be prevented, the Rapid PCR test can prevent regional spread."

He continued, "To more effectively block the spread of COVID-19 infections, it must be addressed from the perspective of local autonomy, and local governments need to be granted autonomy in quarantine measures."

He emphasized, "The state should take responsibility for medical defense of positive cases, while local governments should handle health defense for negative cases, and for this, nationwide expansion of the Rapid PCR test is necessary."

At the forum, the 'Rapid PCR' test was proven to be an effective means of blocking large-scale group infections by identifying asymptomatic confirmed cases related to logistics centers, large shopping malls, religious facilities, public transportation, and university hospitals within Yeoju.

Regarding the background of the pilot implementation of the 'Rapid PCR' test, Mayor Lee stated, "I thought the most ideal response to COVID-19 was a testing method that produces accurate results in a short time," adding, "After studying data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, I discovered that this method was the 'Rapid PCR' and proceeded to implement it."

Yeoju City installed the 'Nightingale Center' in the city hall parking lot to provide free testing accessible to anyone for the 'Rapid PCR Test.'

At this forum, about 20 local government heads from the Seoul metropolitan area, Chungcheong region, and Gangwon region among the 226 basic local government heads affiliated with the National Association of Mayors, County Governors, and District Heads attended in person, while the remaining heads participated in real-time via a YouTube channel live broadcast.