[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] The government recently analyzed the first-dose COVID-19 vaccination recipients in Korea and announced that two weeks after vaccination, AstraZeneca showed a 92% prevention effect, while Pfizer showed 100% prevention effect.
Meanwhile, Gangnam-gu is currently conducting Pfizer vaccinations for seniors aged 75 and older in the district, starting with residents of Irwon 1-dong and Gaepo 1-dong at the Irwon Eco Center on the 15th. Among the 330 people vaccinated that day, no adverse reactions have been reported so far.
The number of seniors in Gangnam who have agreed to receive the vaccine is 23,112. Gangnam-gu has set the first-dose vaccination period until the end of this month and plans to conduct vaccinations by designating three neighborhoods per day. Those who agreed to vaccination will be notified sequentially of their scheduled date and time, with vaccinations proceeding in order of age, starting with the oldest.
Recipients should check the date provided by their local community center and visit the center for vaccination. Above all, Gangnam-gu operates eight shuttle buses to ensure seniors can travel safely and comfortably. If you take the shuttle bus from the community center as informed by the district office, you will be safely transported to the vaccination center.
Even if you previously did not agree to vaccination, you can still receive the vaccine if you wish by bringing your ID to the nearest community center for registration.
The government announced plans to increase the number of vaccination centers from the current 71 to 175 next week to accelerate the vaccination pace.
In this regard, Gangnam-gu is currently setting up an additional vaccination center at the Gangnam Tourism Information Center (161 Apgujeong-ro), scheduled to open in early May.
For reference, seniors aged 75 and older residing in Sinsa-dong, Apgujeong-dong, Cheongdam-dong, and Nonhyeon 1 and 2-dong will receive vaccinations at this location, which is relatively closer than the Irwon Eco Center.
Additionally, from May, 56,000 residents aged 65 to 74, healthcare workers, and teachers of daycare centers, kindergartens, and first and second grades of elementary school will be vaccinated. In July, 270,000 residents aged 18 to 64, including high school seniors, will receive vaccinations.
Globally, including Korea, COVID-19 is showing signs of resurgence. Japan recorded over 4,000 new daily cases for the first time since late January, and Germany has strengthened lockdown measures, including night curfews, due to a sharp increase in cases caused by the UK variant.
India, which has surpassed 14.1 million cumulative cases, recorded a world-high 200,000 new cases in one day on the 14th. Meanwhile, the Philippines saw a sharp increase in the fatality rate in the metropolitan area, rising by 3.5 percentage points from 1.82% last month to over 5%.
As of midnight on the 16th, Korea reported 673 new COVID-19 cases, 25 fewer than the previous day, but the daily count has hovered around 700 for three consecutive days.
Looking at the recent weekly average of locally transmitted cases, a key indicator for adjusting social distancing levels, the daily average is 625.1, exceeding the level 2.5 criteria (nationwide 400-500 cases or rapid doubling).
The national infection reproduction number is 1.12 (April 4-10), exceeding 1, and the proportion of cases with unknown infection routes is about 30%. In Seoul, due to ongoing cluster infections, daily new cases have remained in the 200s for three days.
We have already experienced that adherence to daily quarantine rules is the most reliable vaccine during the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis.
We urge all residents to strictly follow quarantine rules such as wearing masks and social distancing, keeping in mind that even a small lapse can lead to a large-scale outbreak.
Now, let me explain the COVID-19 status in Gangnam-gu.
As of the 16th, Gangnam-gu has confirmed cases up to number 1765. Cases 1738, 1740, 1746, 1755 to 1757, 1759, and 1760 were confirmed through contact with cases from other regions. Cases 1742, 1743, 1747, and 1764 were confirmed through contact with confirmed Gangnam-gu residents. Cases 1741, 1744, 1745, 1749 to 1754, 1758, 1761 to 1763, and 1765 were confirmed as family members of previously confirmed Gangnam-gu residents. Cases 1737, 1739, and 1748 tested positive with symptoms such as coughing but their infection routes are unknown and epidemiological investigations are ongoing. Case 1736 was confirmed positive through post-mortem testing.
Currently, Gangnam-gu manages 1,303 self-quarantined individuals, including 593 who entered from overseas and 710 who had domestic contact.
The cumulative number of tests conducted at Gangnam-gu Public Health Center screening clinics and temporary screening sites is 355,900. Among 4,156 tests conducted the previous day, 51 were overseas entrants and 4,105 were domestic residents.
The government launched a joint inspection team with central ministries and local governments yesterday to inspect nine vulnerable facilities such as academies, restaurants, cafes, and daycare centers.
In this regard, Gangnam-gu is conducting joint inspections with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Education, National Police Agency, and Seoul City at 15 academies in the district until tomorrow.
Going forward, all educational institutions and multi-use facilities will be continuously managed to ensure strict compliance with quarantine guidelines.
The government banned gatherings at entertainment facilities in the metropolitan area starting Monday this week. Gangnam-gu plans to continue intensive inspections by forming joint task forces with Gangnam and Suseo police stations, as it proactively conducted full testing of all 467 entertainment facility workers in the district earlier.
Gangnam District Office will strictly respond with a ‘zero tolerance policy’ under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act against businesses that operate past midnight or violate quarantine rules to evade enforcement.
Dear beloved and respected residents of Gangnam-gu,
Since the early stages of the crisis, Gangnam-gu has conducted proactive testing based on the infectious disease response principle of ‘early detection, early containment,’ resulting in over 330,000 cumulative tests conducted.
According to Seoul City data on confirmed case incidence per 100,000 population, Gangnam-gu ranks 16th lowest among 25 districts with 308 cases (as of April 14). Despite the high population density and daily economic activity population of 1.07 million, which makes the area vulnerable to cluster infections like New York, Gangnam-gu has been relatively well managed thanks to random testing, over 200,000 proactive quarantine measures, and the active cooperation of residents.
Gangnam-gu will continue to do its best to prevent ‘silent transmission’ in the community through proactive testing and minimize cluster infections, while ensuring residents’ health and safety until vaccination is complete.
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