Gyeonggi-do Secures 'One-Stop Medical Institutions' to Prepare for COVID-19 Resurgence

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province is preparing to secure 'one-stop medical institutions' in anticipation of a COVID-19 resurgence.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 7th that, as the number of new confirmed cases in the province dropped to the 800s on the 19th of last month but has been fluctuating between 4,000 and 5,000 since the 4th of this month, raising concerns about a possible resurgence, it will secure 'one-stop medical institutions' that perform testing, diagnosis, and prescription all at once.

The province views this summer as a critical turning point for the COVID-19 resurgence. This is because immunity acquired through vaccination and infection typically lasts 3 to 6 months, and the period when immunity wanes coincides with the first holiday season after the lifting of quarantine measures, during which mobility sharply increases.

Accordingly, the province designated 1,284 out of 2,810 respiratory patient care centers as one-stop medical institutions. The designation status can be checked on portal sites, COVID-19 websites, and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service website.

In addition, a response plan for infection-vulnerable facilities consisting of 4 sectors and 11 tasks has been established and will be implemented.

First, a joint dedicated team of 52 teams and 447 members from the province, public health centers, and facilities will be formed to strengthen on-site response systems in case of group infections. Also, 69 mobile dedicated teams, each composed of at least one doctor and one nurse, will operate to prevent severe cases through face-to-face treatment at nursing facilities.

The province has also prepared a plan to mobilize health and administrative personnel in three crisis stages according to the level of resurgence.

At each stage of the rapid response system, securing dedicated beds, designating residential treatment facilities, and promptly implementing the 3T (Test, Trace, Treatment isolation) centered on public health centers and medical institutions will be carried out.

In the long term, the metropolitan infectious disease specialized hospital designated as Bundang Seoul National University Hospital is scheduled to be completed by 2027.

Ryu Young-cheol, Director of the Provincial Health and Wellness Bureau, said, "With the increasing detection rate of the new BA.5 variant, weakening immunity, and increased summer activity, a resurgence is expected in the second half of the year. We will proactively respond by organizing response systems and strengthening management of high-risk groups in preparation for the resurgence."