Gangbuk-gu Shares 'COVID-19 Big Data Analysis Epidemiological Investigation Best Practices'

Program developer Choi Kwang-il is extracting reinfected cases through a big data analysis program.

Reducing the Burden on Epidemiologists by Pre-Exploring COVID-19 Reinfection and Re-Detection Cases through Big Data Analysis

Introduced as an Excellent Case at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting and District Mayors' Council... Multiple Local Governments Including Incheon, Gwangju, and Gyeongsangnam-do Hope to Benchmark

Training Held on the 17th to Share Best Practices

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangbuk-gu (District Mayor Lee Soon-hee) Public Health Center announced on the 17th that it will share the 'Best Practices of Epidemiological Investigation Using Big Data Analysis Programs' with public health centers and infectious disease control teams of various local governments.

This epidemiological investigation method was introduced to quickly identify COVID-19 reinfection and re-detection cases. It is conducted using a program independently developed by the Gangbuk-gu Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to respond swiftly to the surge in COVID-19 confirmed cases.

Using this program developed last year, the district not only early detected omitted cases by first exploring COVID-19 confirmation histories but also shortened epidemiological investigation time, thereby reducing the workload of investigators and improving the quality of infectious disease prevention and response.

Additionally, this analysis program was developed without a budget by the district's own staff using the free software R. It was selected as a model case at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting (October 5, 2022) and as an excellent case by the Seoul Metropolitan District Mayors' Council (October 12, 2022).

According to the district, as of the 10th, several local governments including Incheon Metropolitan City, Gwangju Metropolitan City, Gyeongsangnam-do, Seongbuk-gu, Gangdong-gu, Yangju-si, Suwon-si, and Cheongju-si have expressed interest in sharing and benchmarking the big data-based epidemiological investigation program.

Accordingly, on the 17th at 2 p.m., Gangbuk-gu will hold a training session at the 4th floor computer training room of Gangbuk-gu Office to share the epidemiological investigation method using big data analysis. At this training, Choi Kwang-il, the main developer of the program, will demonstrate how to operate the program.

After this training, Gangbuk-gu Public Health Center plans to communicate with participants to share local governments' requirements and infectious disease response quality management plans.

Furthermore, the district plans to hold additional training sessions for those who could not participate and to share this method infinitely according to the demands of local governments.

Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, "I hope Gangbuk-gu's case will spread to local governments nationwide and help completely eradicate COVID-19," adding, "We will create policies that benefit residents by utilizing public data not only in the infectious disease field but also in various sectors."

Relocation from Exit 3 of Cheonho Station to the 5th Floor of the District Office Starting January 16

New Dedicated Youth Job Window Established to Provide Customized Services for Young Job Seekers

Gangdong-gu (District Mayor Lee Soo-hee) announced on the 13th that starting from the 16th, the Job Center will be relocated from Cheonho-dong to Gangdong-gu Office to expand job linkage services for residents.

The district's Job Center, opened in April 2013, provides high-quality employment services including customized job support, job seeker and employer consultations, job placement, and linkage and cooperation with the National Employment System.

In particular, last year, the center supported not only general young job seekers but also linked and supported career-interrupted women’s job-seeking activities in cooperation with the Gangdong Women's Human Resources Development Center. It also operated employment mentoring on hiring trends and interview skills for out-of-school students in blind spots, helping socially marginalized groups gain competitiveness in the job market.

Starting this year, with the relocation of the Job Center to the district office, a dedicated youth job window will be newly established.

At the youth job consultation window, dedicated youth job counselors will provide education and program information tailored to young job seekers after consultations, mainly linking with local Gangdong Job Cafe and the Youth Employment Academy Gangdong Campus.

Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, "Taking this relocation of the Job Center as an opportunity, we will actively pursue securing quality jobs, conducting surveys on job demand, and securing employers."