Omicron, Don't Move!... Quarantine Measures Continue During Seollal Holiday

[Seoul District News] Yongsan-gu Deploys 284 Staff from Jan 28 6 PM to Feb 3 9 AM for COVID-19 Special Quarantine Measures to Minimize Resident Inconvenience During Lunar New Year... Gangseo-gu Operates Screening Clinics During Holiday, Ensures COVID-19 Treatment and Response System... Mapo-gu Implements Comprehensive Lunar New Year Measures in 6 Areas: COVID-19, Living, Traffic, Sharing, Safety, Prices... Dongdaemun-gu Runs 24-Hour Situation Room from Jan 28 to Feb 3... Yeongdeungpo-gu Deploys 342 Staff in 6 Teams from Jan 29 to Feb 2 for Lunar New Year...

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) is implementing the ‘2022 Lunar New Year Comprehensive Measures’ covering six key areas closely related to residents’ lives, including COVID-19 prevention measures.

This is to minimize residents’ safety issues and inconveniences that may arise during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

The district will deploy 284 personnel to operate a comprehensive situation room and function-specific situation rooms from 6 p.m. on January 28 to 9 a.m. on February 3. The focus areas are ▲COVID-19 prevention ▲resident safety ▲traffic safety ▲support for marginalized neighbors ▲resolution of daily inconveniences ▲stabilization of holiday prices.

With the Omicron variant spreading and daily new confirmed cases exceeding 10,000, the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will also establish special quarantine measures and operate on a regular basis during the holiday. Working hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with 34 personnel per day.

The Home Treatment Task Force is responsible for monitoring the health of home treatment patients, providing 24-hour emergency response, and prescribing Paxlovid.

Screening clinics will remain available during the holiday period (January 29 to February 2). However, since operating hours vary and some clinics will be closed, prior confirmation is necessary.

A district official stated, “Information on operating pharmacies during the holiday will be posted on the district website and SNS for reference. Especially, garbage collection will not be possible for three days from the 29th to the 31st. Please dispose of waste in front of your house starting the evening of February 1.”

The district is also focusing on cold wave and snow removal measures. The Cold Wave Situation Management Task Force, Cold Wave Countermeasures Headquarters, and Snow Removal Situation Room will operate 24 hours. Particularly, when the probability of snowfall exceeds 80%, de-icing agents will be pre-applied to major arterial roads and vulnerable points. Emergency duty by public officials will continue in stages.

From January 17 to February 3, safety inspections are planned for housing, disaster-vulnerable facilities, and redevelopment construction sites. Inspection targets include the Wonhyo-ro 1-ga youth housing construction site, Yongsan Station front area 1-1 district construction site, Hannam 4 district steep slope, Jungsan Model Apartment, and 105 old buildings in Galwol-dong 5-17. Minor issues found will be immediately addressed on-site, and serious issues will be notified to building owners to resolve risks before the holiday.

The district will continue ‘three-stage safety checks’ before, during, and immediately after the holiday for 1,127 vulnerable elderly living alone who require care.

Yongsan-gu Mayor Seong Jang-hyun said, “We have completed holiday consolation fund support for low-income single-parent households and disabled residents in care facilities. We will make this a holiday that cares for marginalized neighbors. Also, with the Omicron variant’s severe COVID-19 situation, we regretfully ask residents to refrain from visiting their hometowns this holiday.”

Seoul Gangseo-gu (Mayor Roh Hyun-song) is implementing the ‘2022 Lunar New Year Comprehensive Measures’ to ensure residents have a safe and comfortable holiday during the nation’s major traditional holiday.

The district has designated January 28 to February 3 as a special countermeasure period and plans to focus on six key areas: ▲resident safety measures ▲snow removal and cold wave measures ▲resolution of daily inconveniences ▲holiday price stabilization ▲support for marginalized neighbors ▲establishment of public service discipline and office management.

First, the district will operate a comprehensive situation room 24 hours a day for seven days from the 28th to prevent various accidents and monitor resident inconveniences during the holiday.

The COVID-19 treatment and response system will be thoroughly prepared. The Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will operate 24/7 during the holiday, maintaining two screening clinics at the public health center (9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) and two temporary screening centers (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) located at Magok 8 District Public Parking Lot Centers 1 and 2 to maintain a meticulous quarantine system.

Additionally, the home treatment team will manage the health and isolation of home treatment patients and provide 24-hour emergency transport to support COVID-19 treatment.

Safety accident prevention will be thorough. Safety inspections will be conducted not only on roads, road facilities, construction sites, and disaster-vulnerable facilities but also on multi-use facilities and large stores used by residents.

To prepare for snowfall and cold waves during the holiday, the emergency response system will be strengthened. The snow removal situation room will maintain emergency duty and ensure thorough initial response and rapid snow removal to secure safe travel for holiday travelers. Warmth-sharing shelters (55 locations) and cold wave shelters (54 locations) will also be operated.

Measures to enhance resident convenience have also been prepared. A traffic countermeasure team will operate to receive and handle complaints, and parking enforcement around four traditional markets, including Nambu Hwaggok Market, will be relaxed during the holiday. Customized cleaning measures such as special cleaning for the Lunar New Year and hygiene inspections for food safety will minimize resident inconvenience.

The district will also care for neighbors who are lonelier during the holiday. Consolation funds will be provided to 17,258 low-income households and local welfare facilities, along with gifts such as fruit and quarantine supplies.

Furthermore, a medical system will be established to respond quickly to emergency patients during the holiday. Forty-five on-duty medical institutions and 150 holiday pharmacy keepers will operate on a rotating duty system. Four regional general hospitals?Ewha Seoul Hospital, Boomin Hospital, Wooridle Hospital, and Mizmedi Hospital?will operate emergency rooms 24 hours to maintain an emergency medical system for emergency patients.

Information on medical institutions and pharmacies available by schedule can be checked on the district website and the 120 Dasan Call Center. The prohibited days for household waste disposal during this Lunar New Year holiday are January 31 and February 1. Waste can be disposed of normally from 7 p.m. on February 2 in areas scheduled for Wednesday disposal.

Mayor Roh Hyun-song said, “We will do our best to implement comprehensive measures in each area without administrative gaps during the holiday and hope residents have a safe and joyful Lunar New Year.”

“Can I get a COVID-19 test during the Lunar New Year holiday?”, “Will pharmacies be open to buy medicine when I’m sick?”, “When should I dispose of household waste?” These are questions many wonder about during the five-day holiday including the nation’s traditional Lunar New Year.

To resolve these concerns and minimize resident inconvenience, Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) has prepared the ‘2022 Lunar New Year Comprehensive Measures’.

The measures are divided into six areas: ▲COVID-19 ▲daily life ▲traffic ▲safety ▲sharing ▲prices, and will be implemented over seven days from January 28 to February 3.

During this period, 65 staff will operate the comprehensive situation room, and 333 staff will be on emergency duty in sector-specific task forces related to COVID-19 response, cleaning, parking enforcement, and snow removal measures.

COVID-19 testing will be available during the holiday. The Mapo-gu Public Health Center screening clinic will operate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for five days from January 29 to February 2. However, from January 29, only PCR priority groups [▲60 years and older ▲those requested by the public health center for PCR testing ▲those with a doctor’s note ▲preemptive testing targets in vulnerable facilities ▲positive rapid antigen test (self-test) cases] can be tested at the Mapo-gu Public Health Center screening clinic as a response strategy to Omicron spread.

Those not in the PCR priority group can get tested at screening sites in Hongik Cultural Park, Seogang University Station Plaza, Dohwa Soe Children’s Park, Hongdae Walking Street, and World Cup Park Peace Plaza.

Operating hours and congestion levels during the holiday can be checked on the Smart Seoul Map’s ‘Screening Clinic Congestion Status.’

To manage and support the increasing number of COVID-19 home treatment patients, the home treatment team will be on duty. The emergency patient management team supporting COVID-19 bed waiters and the life treatment center will operate 24 hours, maintaining quarantine and emergency transport systems for overseas arrivals.

In the ‘daily life’ sector, to minimize medical gaps, on-duty medical institutions and holiday pharmacy keepers will operate. Medical institutions and pharmacies can be checked via the Emergency Medical Information Center website or the Dasan Call Center.

Household waste from detached houses and shopping districts can be disposed of after sunset on January 30 and February 2 during the holiday, while waste from apartment complexes should be disposed of on designated dates for each complex.

In the ‘traffic’ sector, a traffic countermeasure situation room will operate to eliminate inconveniences caused by bus delays for holiday travelers. Considering the holiday period, parking enforcement around traditional markets and large marts expected to be crowded due to holiday food preparation will be relaxed to promote local economic revitalization without hindering resident safety and traffic flow.

To prevent parking difficulties for visitors to Mapo-gu, 26 paid public parking lots will be free from January 29 to February 2.

Information on free public parking lots can be checked on the Seoul City Parking Information System.

In the ‘safety’ sector, an emergency response system will be prepared to immediately respond to cold wave and snow removal advisories (warnings) to prevent winter accidents and minimize resident inconvenience.

Safety inspections were conducted from January 14 to 24 on 79 gas facilities that could potentially cause major accidents if neglected, and inspections on 45 road facilities have been completed.

To prevent construction site accidents ahead of the Serious Accident Punishment Act enforcement and the holiday, inspections were conducted on five large construction sites over 1,000㎡, as well as multi-use facilities, tourist sites, cultural assets, multi-use sports facilities, and parks and green spaces.

In the ‘sharing’ sector, welfare blind spots will be identified in advance, and food and groceries will be distributed to low-income residents to help them have a rich Lunar New Year.

Based on fieldwork in 16 neighborhoods, crisis households needing help due to unemployment, business closure, or illness will be identified, and sharing will be practiced through food markets and the Community Chest of Korea for low-income and vulnerable neighbors.

In the ‘prices’ sector, non-face-to-face telephone order direct transaction markets and traditional market discount events will expand supply and stabilize prices of Lunar New Year seasonal goods. To prevent wage arrears related to construction in Mapo-gu and expand advance payments before the holiday, about 1.8 billion KRW worth of completion payments, progress payments, and labor costs have been expedited.

Mapo-gu Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun said, “With COVID-19 confirmed cases exceeding 10,000, special attention to quarantine is needed during the Lunar New Year holiday. Mapo-gu is doing its best to prevent inconvenience to residents, and we ask residents to take proactive COVID-19 tests before returning to daily life.”

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) is implementing comprehensive measures covering daily life, sharing, traffic, prices, and safety to ensure residents have a comfortable and safe Lunar New Year holiday.

The district has established seven sector-specific measures: ▲COVID-19 spread prevention ▲safety measures ▲resolution of resident inconveniences ▲warm holiday celebrations ▲traffic measures ▲price stabilization, and will implement them thoroughly from January 28 to February 3 for seven days.

In particular, to respond promptly to incidents in each sector, the district office’s first-floor comprehensive situation room will operate from 6 p.m. on the 28th to 9 a.m. on February 3.

Operation of COVID-19 Response Situation Room and Screening Clinics

From January 28 to February 3, the Dongdaemun-gu Safety and Disaster Division situation room will receive COVID-19 related reports, send disaster safety messages, and monitor self-quarantined individuals from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the holiday.

The Dongdaemun-gu Public Health Center screening clinic, located at the rear of the district office’s first floor, will operate from January 29 to February 2 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and the Cheongnyangni Station temporary screening clinic will operate from January 29 to February 2 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). The home treatment response system will also be maintained throughout the holiday.

Safety Inspections of Major Construction Sites and Traditional Markets and Snow Removal Measures

From January 5 to 20, a public-private joint inspection of fire and electrical safety was completed at 11 traditional markets. Safety inspections were conducted at nine redevelopment construction sites and seven third-class facilities, as well as 35 major construction sites and 11 disaster-vulnerable facilities.

The Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will operate during the holiday to prepare for snowfall. Emergency response will be strengthened during snowfall, and rapid snow removal will minimize resident inconvenience. Snow removal boxes, tools, and de-icing agents will be inspected and replenished.

Garbage Disposal Period and Hospitals Open During the Holiday

The district will collect all garbage disposed of by the 29th and mobilize all available personnel to collect waste generated during the holiday on February 2. Disposal is prohibited from January 30 to February 1, and normal disposal can resume after 6 p.m. on February 1.

To prepare for emergency medical situations, the public health center emergency medical countermeasure situation room will operate from January 29 to February 2, providing information on medical institutions and pharmacies open during the holiday and handling emergency medical accident complaints and reports. Three emergency rooms (Kyung Hee University Hospital, Samyook Seoul Hospital, Seoul Sacred Heart Hospital) will operate continuously during the holiday.

Guidance on Late-night Taxi Refusal and Temporary Parking Around Traditional Markets

From 6 p.m. on the 28th to 2 a.m. on the 29th, guidance and crackdowns on illegal acts such as late-night taxi refusal, unfair fare collection, solicitation, and long-term parking for passenger attraction will be conducted around Cheongnyangni Station and Janghanpyeong Station.

From January 24 to February 2, temporary parking will be allowed around traditional markets, including Jeonggok, I-gyeong, Imunjeil, Cheongnyang Wholesale, Dapsimni, and Gyeongdong markets.

Support for Vulnerable Groups and Response for Children Missing Meals During the Holiday

Holiday consolation funds of 30,000 KRW per person will be provided to 3,800 national veterans, and 9,535 basic livelihood security households (living and medical benefit recipients) will receive 30,000 KRW per household as holiday compensation gift expenses.

For children unable to use group meal services during the holiday, Dream Tree Cards will be temporarily issued, and restaurants offering meals will be identified and notified to the children via text messages.

Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol said, “Our district is implementing measures for COVID-19 response, snow removal, cleaning, traffic, and vulnerable groups to ensure residents have a comfortable and safe Lunar New Year holiday. We hope residents, exhausted by COVID-19, enjoy time with family and kindly follow COVID-19 prevention rules for neighbors and family.”

Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) is implementing special cleaning measures to resolve resident inconveniences and maintain a pleasant urban environment during the Lunar New Year holiday.

From January 24 to 28, the preparation period will focus on establishing waste disposal measures for the holiday. All waste collected so far will be transported to public processing facilities, and additional waste collection containers will be installed in areas with large amounts of food waste.

Also, temporary storage containers such as container boxes will be secured in case the waste collected during the holiday exceeds capacity.

Furthermore, major local distribution companies will be inspected for violations of excessive packaging to reduce resource waste. Together with the Korea Environment Corporation, focused inspections will be conducted on gift sets, and suspected non-compliant products will be ordered for packaging inspection, with fines up to 3 million KRW imposed if violations are confirmed.

From January 29 to February 2, the ‘Lunar New Year Holiday Cleaning Countermeasure Situation Room’ will operate. Six teams with 342 cleaning personnel and cleaning vehicles will be deployed to focus on collecting household waste on main roads and vulnerable areas.

During this holiday, waste can only be disposed of on January 30 and February 2 due to restrictions on waste intake at public processing facilities. Disposal time is from 8 p.m. to midnight. Failure to comply with the designated dates and times may result in fines up to 100,000 KRW, so caution is required.

Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Chae Hyun-il said, “We ask everyone to follow the household waste disposal schedule during the Lunar New Year holiday for the benefit of all. We will continue efforts to create a pleasant and clean street environment.”

Jung-gu (Mayor Seo Yang-ho) announced that it has established cleaning measures to minimize resident inconvenience during the Lunar New Year holiday and will implement them from January 28 to February 3.

Since waste processing facilities and the metropolitan landfill will be closed from the 29th, waste disposal is prohibited for three days from January 30 to February 1. Disposal will be allowed from 7 p.m. on February 2, the last day of the holiday.

The district is distributing 20,000 notices about the disposal ban through community service centers and promoting the information through local newspapers, community center websites, and bulletin boards to prevent resident confusion.

The two days before and after the holiday are designated as intensive cleaning periods, during which road surface cleaning on major arterial and side roads will be conducted intensively.

A cleaning situation room will operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the holiday to handle garbage disposal guidance and complaints about inconveniences. A cleaning task force will inspect cleanliness twice daily in vulnerable areas such as Myeongdong and Dongdaemun and collect illegally dumped waste.

Additionally, an emergency contact system will be maintained to respond promptly to emergencies such as snow removal, ensuring thorough cleaning measures during the holiday.

To provide more efficient cleaning services, the district conducted a research project on household waste management last year and overhauled the cleaning system earlier this month. The number of cleaning contractors was reduced from six to four, and the service areas were reorganized into four zones. The cleaning work system for sanitation workers was also revised, expanding their cleaning scope from mainly arterial roads to residential side streets and alleys based on resident requests.

Meanwhile, to address the waste crisis expected after the metropolitan landfill’s closure in 2025, the district opened the ‘Saerom’ Waste Problem Research Institute in October last year. ‘Saerom’ is the nation’s first specialized waste education facility. It educates local residents on the seriousness of waste issues and promotes eco-friendly habits in daily life through resource circulation education. It also supports various related exhibitions and resident gatherings.

Jung-gu Mayor Seo Yang-ho said, “We will thoroughly prepare so that residents can spend the holiday comfortably in a pleasant environment.”