Daegu City Distributes 'Ultraviolet Sterilizers' to 1,270 Daycare Centers... First Local Government to Implement

13 Billion Invested as Part of COVID-19 Economic Quarantine Measures

Photo of a daycare center.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Daegu City is the first local government in the country to distribute 'UV sterilizers for teaching materials, educational tools, and toys' to all 1,270 daycare centers in the city to block the risk of COVID-19 infection, which is vulnerable to group infections.

According to Daegu City on the 4th, as part of the first phase of the 2021 Daegu-style COVID economic quarantine measures, 1.3 billion KRW will be invested to provide differential support ranging from 800,000 KRW to 1.4 million KRW depending on the size of each daycare center. The daycare centers will purchase and install the devices directly and then settle the costs with Daegu City afterward.

Once the UV sterilizers are installed in daycare centers, teaching materials, educational tools, toys, and other items used daily can be safely managed against various pathogen infection risks. Daegu City expects this to greatly help reduce the fatigue of daycare teachers and enhance COVID-19 quarantine efforts.

The 'Daycare Center Response Guidelines for COVID-19 Outbreak' announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare states that due to the characteristics of infants and toddlers, it is difficult to comply with basic quarantine rules such as wearing masks and social distancing, so children using daycare centers are not required to wear masks. For children aged 24 months and older, mask-wearing is recommended during group activities such as singing and rhythmic movements, as well as when using vehicles.

Until now, daycare centers have shown dedication by having teachers personally wipe and sterilize teaching tools, materials, and toys used by children with hand sanitizers and hot water sterilization after the children return home, but there have still been criticisms that there are gaps in quarantine measures.

Regarding the support for UV sterilizers in daycare centers, Yoon Joon-su, president of the Daegu City Daycare Center Association, said, "The UV sterilizers allow for easy sterilization and disinfection, and they can increase parents' trust in COVID-19 quarantine, so directors and teachers are very welcoming."

Kang Myung-sook, director of the Daegu City Women and Youth Education Bureau, pledged, "Until the COVID-19 situation ends, we will do our best to create a safe childcare environment where parents can trust and leave their young children with peace of mind, prioritizing the safety of infants and toddlers."