[Seoul District News] Gwanak-gu Nakseongdae Park Temporary Screening Clinic Operates with Professional Private Medical Staff from 1 PM to 9 PM Regardless of Weekdays or Weekends ... Jung-gu Sets Up Temporary Screening Clinic at Seoul Station Plaza ... Dongjak-gu Reactivates Sadang Culture Center Temporary Screening Clinic from the 25th
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) will resume operation of the ‘Nakseongdae Park Temporary Screening Clinic’ (photo), which had been suspended due to the resurgence of COVID-19, starting July 22.
Among Seoul’s autonomous districts, Gwanak-gu has been quick to establish temporary screening clinics to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health of its residents through prompt initial response.
Accordingly, the district will operate two testing sites: the Gwanak-gu Public Health Center and the Nakseongdae Park Temporary Screening Clinic. The Nakseongdae Park clinic is set up in a spacious park area to maximize openness and minimize contact among residents, and it is located directly on a main road to enhance accessibility for residents.
Testing will be available from 1 PM on July 22. The clinic will operate daily, including weekends, from 1 PM to 9 PM, making it convenient for office workers to get tested after work. However, testing is limited to those who test positive on rapid antigen tests, seniors aged 60 and above, individuals with epidemiological links, and other priority groups eligible for PCR testing.
Notably, this screening clinic operation is a collaboration between the district and the specialized private company Samkwang Medical Foundation through a business agreement, providing more accurate and safer medical services. Unlike the previous operation where testing was unavailable during the one-hour disinfection period, testing will now be possible even during disinfection times, reducing the inconvenience of long waits at the clinic.
Park Jun-hee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, stated, “We will do our best to devise various quarantine measures to protect the health of our residents,” and urged, “Furthermore, we hope that those eligible for the fourth COVID-19 vaccination, including people aged 50 and above and those aged 18 and above with underlying conditions, will actively participate in vaccination.”
Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-sung) is resuming operation of its temporary screening clinic in response to the resurgence of COVID-19, taking proactive measures such as providing same-day PCR testing for overseas arrivals.
First, Jung-gu will reopen the temporary screening clinic starting the 25th to prepare for increased demand for COVID-19 PCR testing. The location remains the same as before, in front of Seoul Station Plaza, which was closed 25 days ago after COVID-19 cases subsided at the end of June.
The screening clinic will operate on weekdays, Sundays, and public holidays from 1 PM to 9 PM, allowing visitors to get tested during these 8 hours. There is a break from 5 PM to 6 PM, and the clinic is closed every Saturday.
Free testing is available at the clinic for priority groups such as seniors aged 60 and above and overseas arrivals. Other individuals wishing to be tested must first have a positive result from a self-diagnosis kit to qualify for PCR testing.
Throughout this year, approximately 90,000 PCR tests have been conducted at the screening clinic in front of Seoul Station Plaza, with about 15,000 confirmed positive cases.
Along with reopening the screening clinic, PCR testing for overseas arrivals will be strengthened. Previously, overseas arrivals were required to get PCR tested within 3 days of arrival, but starting the 25th, testing must be done on the day of arrival.
To inform the public of this policy, the district has distributed multilingual notices in four languages to over 350 hotels and other locations within the area. Additionally, manuals detailing the list of hospitals capable of PCR testing and instructions on registering with Q-CODE (quarantine information pre-entry system) have been provided to ensure thorough initial response to new COVID-19 variants entering from abroad.
The number of overseas arrivals in Jung-gu has been increasing, from 24,254 in May to 28,634 in June, with an average of 1,186 daily stay registrations, marking the highest number of overseas arrivals in the country.
Jung-gu is also encouraging participation in the fourth vaccine dose. Eligible groups include those aged 50 and above, immunocompromised individuals and those with underlying conditions aged 18 and above, and residents, inpatients, and workers in infection-vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals, care facilities, and mental health promotion centers.
Vaccination is known to significantly reduce symptoms and the risk of death even in breakthrough infections.
Mayor Kim Gil-sung said, “Especially since Jung-gu is located in the center of Seoul and has many visitors to the temporary screening clinic as well as many overseas arrivals, we believe proactive response is the way to minimize COVID-19 damage and will respond swiftly.”
Dongjak-gu (Mayor Park Il-ha) announced that it will add a temporary screening clinic at Sadang Cultural Center and begin operation from the 25th.
This decision follows the government’s ‘Additional COVID-19 Measures’ announced on the 20th, as the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron spreads rapidly, marking the start of the sixth major wave of COVID-19.
Considering the increasing trend in testing, the district will reopen the temporary screening clinic at Sadang Cultural Center (9 Sadang-ro 8-gil, near Exit 2 of Namseong Station) and expand testing during evening hours and weekends. Operating hours are from 1 PM to 9 PM on weekdays and Sundays, with no operation on Saturdays.
Testing is limited to priority groups: seniors aged 60 and above, individuals with epidemiological links, those related to infection-vulnerable facilities, and those confirmed positive on rapid antigen tests.
Additionally, testing is available at the Dongjak-gu Public Health Center on weekdays from 9 AM to 6 PM and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 AM to 1 PM. Those not included in the priority groups who wish to be tested can take rapid antigen tests (RAT) at local clinics.
Earlier, since the 14th, the district has been implementing proactive measures to prepare for the resurgence, including activating the ‘COVID-19 Respiratory Patient Treatment Center,’ expanding preemptive testing in infection-vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals and care facilities, encouraging the fourth vaccination for high-risk groups and infection-vulnerable facilities, and strengthening quarantine management in multi-use facilities.
Mayor Park Il-ha of Dongjak-gu said, “We will prioritize residents’ safety and do our best to prevent local spread,” and urged, “Please strictly adhere to quarantine rules and personal hygiene management.”
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