Ha Byeongpil, Acting Governor of Gyeongnam Province, "Need to Shift Quarantine System in Response to Omicron Dominance"

Ha Byung-pil, Acting Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do, is speaking at the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters video conference. [Image source=Gyeongsangnam-do]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] Ha Byung-pil, Acting Governor of Gyeongnam Province, said on the 26th, "It is time to shift the treatment and quarantine system in response to the dominance of the Omicron variant virus."

At the disaster safety countermeasures headquarters video meeting that day, Acting Governor Ha said to each city and county, "The number of confirmed cases nationwide has exceeded 13,000 per day, and in Gyeongnam, the number of confirmed cases has practically doubled in one day."

In Gyeongnam, on the 24th, 344 confirmed cases occurred in one day, surpassing 300 for the first time since the spread of COVID-19, and on the 25th, the number surged to 542, skipping the 400 range.

Acting Governor Ha said, "We have no choice but to actively utilize home treatment," and urged, "Cities and counties should expand medical institutions managing home treatment and smoothly operate emergency contact and emergency transport systems for home treatment patients so that confirmed patients and their families do not feel anxious."

Confirmed cases of the Omicron variant virus were previously excluded from home treatment and were prioritized for allocation to living treatment centers and hospitals, but since the 19th, they have been changed to home treatment targets.

Along with this, in preparation for the 'transition to a neighborhood clinic-centered testing and treatment system' to be implemented from the 3rd of next month, he instructed, "Proactively secure self-test kits, places/facilities, and operating personnel for rapid antigen testing, including existing screening clinics."

He added, "As home treatment increases, infection prevention among family cohabitants must be carried out simultaneously," and urged, "Make maximum use of the safe accommodations operated by cities and counties."

Finally, he said, "Considering the recent nationwide increase in confirmed cases, the number in Gyeongnam could increase exponentially," and added, "While taking necessary preemptive measures, provide detailed guidance on the current situation, home treatment, and rapid antigen testing so that residents do not feel excessive anxiety."

Meanwhile, the government will pilot the transition to a neighborhood clinic-centered testing and treatment system from the 26th in four Omicron-dominant areas: Gwangju, Jeonnam, Pyeongtaek, and Anseong.

As a measure to focus on responding to Omicron, existing PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests will be concentrated on high-risk groups aged 60 and over and those requiring priority testing, while other subjects will switch to self- and rapid antigen testing methods at public health center screening clinics. If a positive reaction occurs in the rapid test, an additional PCR test will be conducted.