With Confirmed Cases Surging, Screening Clinics Paralyzed... Citizens Turning Away

High Demand for Tests and Negative Certificates
Average Daily Test Volume Reaches 500,000
Crowds Gather, Social Distancing Not Maintained

On the 8th, as the number of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 7,000, the screening clinic at Dongdaemun-gu Public Health Center in Seoul was crowded with citizens seeking testing. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassed 7,000 for two consecutive days, the demand for testing has also surged dramatically. With citizens seeking negative test certificates for the quarantine pass overlapping, screening clinics across the metropolitan area have reached a state of paralysis.

On the 8th, when the number of confirmed cases exceeded 7,000 for the first time in history, more than 100 citizens gathered in front of the screening clinic set up at the plaza in front of Seoul City Hall. The long lines formed since the morning showed no signs of shortening, and some citizens sighed upon seeing the queue and turned back. At a similar time, the screening clinic near Guro Station in Seoul faced the same situation. It was crowded with citizens trying to get tested from early hours, and the number of people increased from around 100 in the morning to nearly 200 after lunchtime.

This is interpreted as a result of the daily average number of tests increasing to 500,000 due to the rapid rise in confirmed cases. Not only close contacts but also those subject to self-quarantine and home treatment are flocking to get polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests all at once. From this month, citizens seeking PCR negative certificates for the quarantine pass have also been visiting screening clinics. Kim Eun-ji (31), who was tested that day, said, "I took a half-day off in the morning to get a negative certificate and came for the test, but the waiting time was too long," adding, "I barely managed to get tested after hurriedly taking a half-day off in the afternoon."

On the morning of the 9th, citizens who visited the COVID-19 screening clinic set up at Mapo-gu Office in Mapo-gu, Seoul, were informed by officials about the morning testing registration deadline. On this day, 7,102 new COVID-19 cases were reported, and the number of critically ill patients reached 857, marking the highest ever recorded. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

In many screening clinics in the metropolitan area, waiting times frequently range from as short as one hour to as long as four hours. When the waiting overlaps with medical staff’s lunch or break times, some people leave without even being registered after exceeding the testing time. With so many people gathering, maintaining a 1-meter distance is also difficult.

Basic quarantine rules are not being followed in places where people with a high possibility of virus infection visit. Park Jae-hyun (42), who visited the screening clinic at Seo-gu Public Health Center in Incheon, said, "I saw several people who came for testing but just left," adding, "If they cannot get tested today, wouldn’t that mean they are spreading the virus here and there regardless of their will?"

The drive-through testing site, where tests can be done inside cars, is facing a similar situation. On that day, the drive-through screening clinic installed at the Asiad Main Stadium in Seo-gu, Incheon, was crowded with cars lined up around the stadium. Although it was set up to test two vehicles at a time, the number of cars showed no signs of decreasing easily.