Gyeonggi-do Conducts 'Emergency Inspections' of Lodging Facilities to Prevent Bedbugs

Oh Byung-kwon, the First Deputy Governor of Gyeonggi Province, is presiding over a video conference with deputy heads of 31 cities and counties in the province on the 6th.

Gyeonggi Province is launching an emergency inspection of lodging facilities to prevent bedbug infestations.

On the 6th, Gyeonggi Province held an emergency meeting of deputy heads of provincial and city/county administrations, chaired by Oh Byeong-gwon, the First Deputy Governor of Gyeonggi Province, and decided to conduct special inspections to prevent the spread of bedbugs. Prior to this, Gyeonggi Province held advisory meetings with the Korea Pest Control Association Gyeonggi Branch to discuss countermeasures.

Gyeonggi Province, together with city and county governments, has designated the period until the end of November as an intensive inspection period and will conduct special inspections of 5,262 lodging and bathhouse facilities within the province. The inspections may be expanded depending on the spread of bedbugs, and will check whether pest control disinfection has been carried out.

Additionally, using contingency funds, the province plans to provide bedbug control consulting targeting hygiene-vulnerable facilities such as goshiwons, temporary residences for foreign workers, and dormitories through 49 public health centers in 31 cities and counties.

Gyeonggi Province also accepts reports of bedbug sightings via the call center 120 or city/county public health centers. Upon receiving a report, on-site investigations by public health centers and connections to specialized pest control companies for bedbugs can be arranged.

Being bitten by bedbugs can cause severe itching. Although bedbugs were frequently found in the 1960s and were virtually eradicated due to the distribution of insecticides, recent repeated discoveries of bedbugs in Korea have increased public anxiety. As of the 6th, according to checks by 49 public health centers in the province, some reports were mistaken for bedbugs, but no confirmed cases of bedbugs were found.

The meeting also discussed countermeasures for strong winds and heavy rain, as well as responses to the occurrence of Lumpy Skin Disease.

As of the 5th, Gyeonggi Province has completed vaccination for 474,426 cattle raised on 7,616 farms within the province. The province views the end of November, three weeks after the antibody formation period, as a turning point for ending Lumpy Skin Disease and plans to continue thorough quarantine measures.