Starting Tomorrow, COVID-19 Testing and Treatment Available at 391 Respiratory Clinics Nationwide (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Starting tomorrow (the 3rd), COVID-19 patient diagnostic testing and treatment will be conducted at about 700 locations nationwide, including respiratory-specialized clinics and local hospitals and clinics.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 2nd, from the 3rd, the testing and treatment system will shift nationwide to include local hospitals and clinics focusing on high-risk groups. Among 428 respiratory-specialized clinics equipped with negative pressure facilities, 391 will officially implement the new testing and treatment system.

Additionally, among 1,004 local hospitals and clinics (respiratory treatment designated medical institutions) that have expressed willingness to participate in COVID-19 treatment, 343 will start COVID-19 patient diagnosis and treatment from that day.

The remaining respiratory-specialized clinics and hospitals and clinics will sequentially transition to the new treatment system by the third week of February as preparations are completed.

The government plans to provide information on the list of respiratory treatment designated medical institutions capable of COVID-19 treatment and their operation schedules through the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service website on the morning of the 3rd, and from the 4th onward via the COVID-19 website and various portal sites.

With the transition of the treatment system, general individuals who are not subject to priority PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing can receive rapid antigen tests at respiratory-specialized clinics and designated local hospitals and clinics.

Those who have confirmed cases epidemiologically linked to them, have a doctor's opinion, are aged 60 or older, have tested positive on self-test kits or professional rapid antigen tests, or are workers at vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals are considered priority testing subjects and can continue to receive PCR tests directly at screening clinics as before.

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, said, "The transition of the testing and treatment system may cause some inconvenience to the general public who are not in high-risk groups," and added, "Please understand that this unavoidable transition aims to quickly diagnose and treat high-risk groups through selective and focused use of limited resources to reduce severe cases and deaths."