"People Who Have Completed Vaccination Can Remove Masks Outdoors"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] People who have received both the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Korea will be exempt from the mandatory '2-week self-quarantine' starting May 5.

Even if they have been in contact with a confirmed case, if the test result is 'negative' and there are no symptoms, self-quarantine will be waived.

Instead, they must undergo active monitoring for 14 days and take two tests. If fully vaccinated, they will not be quarantined even when entering the country from abroad.

The quarantine authorities announced this policy the day before yesterday, stating, "If you get vaccinated now, immunity will be formed by August at the latest, allowing for safer daily life."

With over 3.05 million people nationwide having received their first vaccine dose, vaccination is progressing well in Gangnam-gu. Over two months since February 26, 26,514 Gangnam-gu residents have been vaccinated.

On the 28th, the second vaccination center, Gangnam Tourism Information Center, opened. To facilitate smoother vaccinations, a district-based operation system will be implemented, similar to the Ilwon Eco Center. At the Eco Center, 17 districts including Samsung, Daechi, and Yeoksam, with 17,289 residents aged 75 and older, are targeted, while the Tourism Information Center serves 6,219 residents in Sinsa-dong, Nonhyeon 1 and 2-dong, Apgujeong, and Cheongdam-dong.

The daily vaccination capacity is 700 at the Eco Center and 300 at the Tourism Information Center, with a total of 1,000 elderly people receiving vaccines daily at both locations.

Those who consent to vaccination will be notified sequentially of their scheduled date and time, with vaccinations proceeding in order of age from oldest to youngest.

Recipients should check the date provided by their local community center and visit the designated center for vaccination. Gangnam-gu operates eight shuttle buses to ensure the elderly can travel comfortably.

Vaccination efforts are accelerating worldwide. In Israel, 60% of the entire population has been vaccinated, and daily new confirmed cases remain below 100. In the UK, one in four adults has completed the second dose, and in the US, 43% of the population (142.69 million people) have received at least one dose. Recently, President Joe Biden attracted attention by removing his mask in public, and health authorities have announced that vaccinated individuals may remove masks outdoors.

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that COVID-19 vaccination is effective and also prevents the emergence of new variants.

However, it emphasized that daily preventive measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing must continue alongside vaccination to eradicate COVID-19.

On the 30th, quarantine authorities decided to extend the current social distancing and ban on private gatherings of five or more people for three weeks and to extend the special quarantine management week by one more week. Residents are urged to remember that social distancing and mask-wearing are the only vaccines protecting us from COVID-19 and to actively comply with government quarantine guidelines.

Now, let me provide the current COVID-19 status in Gangnam-gu.

This is the status of confirmed cases in Gangnam-gu. As of this date, cases have been confirmed up to number 1989. Cases 1979 to 1981 are family members of confirmed Gangnam-gu residents, and case 1984 tested positive after contact with a confirmed case from another region. Cases 1985 and 1986 were infected through contact with confirmed Gangnam-gu residents, while cases 1982 and 1983 were confirmed after entering the country. Cases 1987 to 1989 were confirmed due to symptoms such as fever, but their infection routes are unknown and epidemiological investigations are ongoing.

As of the 30th, Gangnam-gu is managing 1,578 people in self-quarantine, including 660 overseas entrants and 918 domestic contacts.

The cumulative number of tests conducted at Gangnam-gu Public Health Center screening clinics and temporary screening sites is 379,513. On the previous day, among 3,334 tested individuals, 46 were overseas entrants and 3,328 were domestic residents.

As of midnight on the 30th, the number of new domestic COVID-19 cases was 661, a decrease from the previous day but still around the 700 mark. Recently, cluster infections have occurred in multi-use facilities with high risk, such as PC rooms and academies, causing concern among residents. However, a full inspection of 2,168 individuals at Gangnam Daeseong Academy in Yeoksam-dong has so far revealed no additional confirmed cases.

Also, this Wednesday, in cooperation with the Office for Government Policy Coordination and Gangnam Police Station, special inspections were conducted on 467 facilities near Cheongdam and Sinsa-dong, including entertainment bars and holdem pubs. Gangnam-gu promises to continue strict administrative guidance for thorough quarantine management.

Additionally, in celebration of May as Family Month, Gangnam-gu will distribute twenty masks and stickers featuring the Mimiwi Gangnam character to 7,100 children in the district who are being cared for at home rather than attending daycare or kindergarten.

When taking walks, you can see four- to five-year-old children wearing masks properly. Although it is a difficult time to breathe due to wearing masks all day, as the district mayor, I express my gratitude to all children who are following quarantine rules for the sake of themselves and others.

Dear and respected residents of Gangnam-gu,

COVID-19 infections continue to spread nationwide beyond the metropolitan area. At times like this, proactive testing based on the infectious disease response principle of 'early detection, early containment' is crucial. Residents are encouraged to get tested at temporary screening clinics or Gangnam-gu Public Health Center if they feel even slightly unwell. Please note that the health center screening clinic hours have changed to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

All Gangnam-gu staff promise to do their best to overcome COVID-19 wisely together with the 570,000 residents of Gangnam-gu.