Gyeonggi Province will urgently provide 1 billion KRW in contingency funds to 31 cities and counties for emergency bedbug control.
On the 21st, Gyeonggi Province announced that after confirming bedbug occurrences throughout the province, it allocated 1 billion KRW in contingency funds to 49 public health centers in 31 cities and counties to conduct emergency inspections and pest control. As of midnight on the 20th, out of 116 suspected bedbug reports received by city and county health centers, 20 cases were confirmed as bedbugs.
Each health center plans to use the budget to conduct pre-inspections for bedbug control and purchase pest control and disinfectant supplies targeting hygiene-vulnerable facilities such as goshiwons and temporary residences for foreign workers. In case of bedbug occurrences, private pest control services will also be utilized.
Earlier, on the 13th, Gyeonggi Province formed and has been operating the Gyeonggi Province Bedbug Countermeasure Headquarters, led by Oh Byeong-kwon, the First Deputy Governor for Administration. In particular, from the 6th of this month to the 8th of next month, a focused bedbug inspection period has been set, targeting lodging businesses and bathhouses where bedbug occurrences are highly likely.
Gyeonggi Province is receiving bedbug occurrence reports through city and county health centers and the 110 National Call Center. Upon receiving a report, on-site investigations by health centers are conducted, and information on bedbug eradication methods and related professional pest control companies is provided. Additionally, the status of bedbug pest control companies registered with the Korea Pest Control Association Gyeonggi Branch is distributed to each city and county so that residents can use these services if needed.
Although bedbugs do not transmit infectious diseases, they are pests that cause severe itching due to bloodsucking, discomfort, allergies, and psychological fatigue. They were frequently found in the 1960s but were virtually eradicated due to the distribution of insecticides. However, recent repeated discoveries of bedbugs in Korea have increased public anxiety.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety is also providing a special grant of 200 million KRW to cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province to support the purchase of pest control supplies for bedbug eradication.
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