First Step Toward Daily Life Resumption for Elderly After Vaccination

51% of Seniors Aged 75+ in Dongdaemun-gu Complete 2nd COVID-19 Vaccine; Senior Leisure Programs Resume... Managing Vaccination Records and Conducting Summer Safety Inspections for Elderly Safety

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor You Deok-yeol) will resume leisure programs such as yoga, health gymnastics, and art for senior citizens who have received the COVID-19 vaccine starting from the 14th, as vaccination for the elderly is in full swing.

Currently, more than 51% of seniors aged 75 and older in Dongdaemun-gu have completed their second vaccine dose, and 85% have received their first dose. Additionally, 58% of seniors aged between 60 and 70 have also completed their first vaccine dose.

The district announced that, as vaccination among the elderly progresses actively, it has decided to partially resume leisure programs to support the return to daily life.

Seniors who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can participate in leisure programs at senior centers and senior classes 14 days after their first vaccination. Programs that generate droplets, such as singing classes, and communal dining are restricted, and seniors must wear masks while using the senior centers.

There will also be changes to the operating hours of senior centers. Since April 12, the 132 senior centers in Dongdaemun-gu have been operating on shortened hours from 1 PM to 5 PM on weekdays in accordance with social distancing level 2. However, seniors who are 14 days past their second vaccine dose will now be able to use the senior centers all day from 9 AM to 6 PM.

The district plans to appoint infection control officers to thoroughly manage the list of vaccinated seniors to ensure safe facility use.

Additionally, since the 7th, safety inspections have been underway in four major areas: facility safety, summer disaster response, fire prevention, and infectious disease prevention. In particular, to prevent recent issues with kimchi refrigerator fires, the district is conducting thorough management, including checking for the possession of old kimchi refrigerators, to ensure the safety of seniors.

You Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, stated, “We hope that through the use of senior center programs and senior classes, the elderly will regain vitality in their lives and recover some of their pre-COVID-19 daily routines,” and added, “We will focus on infection control and basic facility safety inspections to ensure the safety of our seniors.”