Gwangyang-si, Strategic Response System in Preparation for COVID Re-Yuhaeng

Encouraging Compliance with Daily Quarantine Rules Amid Spread of Infections in Everyday Life

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seonsik] Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do announced that it has entered a COVID-19 resurgence response system in preparation for the reemergence of variants.

According to the city, the recent decline in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Gwangyang has slowed, and from the first week of July, the number of confirmed cases has doubled compared to the previous week. Jeollanam-do also announced that the infection reproduction number is on the rise, increasing from 0.75 to 1.48.

The city is strengthening quarantine inspections in multi-use food service sectors such as general restaurants and cafes to proactively respond to the resurgence and is establishing a strategic response plan for the resurgence.

Food service operators and workers are required to wear masks at all times while working, maintain at least a 1-meter distance between tables or leave one seat empty, regularly disinfect frequently touched areas (shared items, door handles, railings, etc.), and ventilate the space three times a day (for at least 10 minutes each time).

The city strongly recommends minimizing the time masks are removed indoors for eating, continuously wearing masks before and after meals, refraining from conversations while unmasked, reducing the number of gatherings with many people as much as possible, minimizing the duration of such gatherings, and when visiting restaurants, choosing less crowded places and times or using takeout and delivery services.

Additionally, to prepare for the resurgence, the city will conduct quarantine inspections of multi-use food service and public hygiene establishments, operate a civil complaint response team to promptly address complaints and incidents, and produce 5,000 promotional materials to be posted at food service and public hygiene establishments to promote personal quarantine rules for COVID-19 resurgence preparedness among citizens.

Since the year before last, the city has operated a complaint response team that inspects quarantine rules after 6 p.m. and immediately responds to complaints by dispatching personnel to the site. They received 119 cases in 2020, 531 cases in 2021, and 78 cases in 2022, conducted 12,316 on-site inspections, issued 200 corrective actions, and took 97 legal actions and administrative measures.

Oh Seungtaek, Director of the Food Hygiene Division, said, “We will do our utmost to prevent regional spread due to new variants or resurgence,” and added, “We ask for the practice of daily quarantine rules at various gatherings that have increased following the lifting of social distancing.”

Meanwhile, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters has decided to postpone reintroducing social distancing measures considering the current severe economic situation and low public acceptance of the system. They plan to strengthen the legal basis for balanced judgment in the future and prepare an evidence-based social response quarantine system in case the epidemic situation rapidly worsens.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seonsik hss79@asiae.co.kr