A Record of 1,320 Days of the Pandemic... Songpa-gu COVID-19 White Paper Published

The Infectious Disease Pandemic Lasting 3 Years and 8 Months, Highlighting Songpa-gu's Quarantine Response
From Vivid Experiences to Suggestions for Preventing the Next Pandemic

Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) has published the "Songpa-gu COVID-19 White Paper" to share records of quarantine responses with residents during the COVID-19 pandemic period (January 20, 2020 ? August 31, 2023) and to enable effective responses to future infectious disease crises.

It vividly recalls the difficult times when epidemiological investigations were conducted at mass outbreak sites such as Garak Market, courier companies, and baseball stadiums to trace confirmed patients' movements, and when it was unclear how far testing should be conducted?such as whether remaining games would proceed if all baseball players were quarantined, or if people who smoked together near smoking areas also needed to self-isolate. The hardship of self-employed individuals struggling to endure two weeks of self-quarantine was deeply felt, making the decision to self-isolate a painful memory. (Temporary Epidemiologist, Dentist)

The most challenging experience was a day when only two people, including one doctor, collected specimens from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. During the long specimen collection, hands inside latex gloves became swollen, repeatedly breaking swabs and closing lids caused fingernails to be cut off, and the lower back ached as if it would break. (Screening Clinic Support Staff, Songpa-gu Office)

After receiving notification that a patient who had visited the emergency room tested positive for COVID-19, 35 emergency room staff underwent PCR testing. One staff member was confirmed positive, leading to a five-day epidemiological investigation involving 25 staff members, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government epidemiological investigation team and Songpa-gu Public Health Center. CCTV footage was reviewed for over 20 hours to identify contacts. It was a time when people went to work every day praying, "Please let there be no confirmed cases." (Nurse, Infection Control Office, Police Hospital)

The "Songpa-gu COVID-19 White Paper" contains records of quarantine measures over 3 years and 8 months, key response cases, and various compensation and support projects. It aims to assist future infectious disease responses by sharing vivid testimonials from frontline workers such as epidemiologists, screening clinic support staff, and nurses, as well as evaluations and recommendations regarding COVID-19.

Specifically, among the 25 autonomous districts in Seoul, Songpa-gu ranked first in the number of confirmed cases but was 10th in confirmed cases per 100,000 population and 13th in deaths.

Despite the high population density, it is assessed that the transmission of infectious diseases was blocked through residents' adherence to quarantine rules and proactive responses.

Throughout numerous changes?including 13 editions of COVID-19 patient classification changes from pandemic to endemic, 13 editions of confirmed case testing and isolation changes, 13 editions of close contact isolation and testing changes, and 14 editions of overseas entrant testing changes?the district documented the proactive quarantine measures it implemented.

In particular, the district operated the nation’s first "Internet Quarantine Team," a system that deletes confirmed patients' movement disclosures from the internet to protect patient privacy and prevent secondary damage such as sales declines at businesses visited by confirmed patients. Additionally, in response to the prolonged COVID-19 situation, the district developed the "ByCorona App" to minimize inconvenience for residents by facilitating screening clinic use and rapid test result notifications, and implemented various support projects for small business owners facing financial difficulties.

A small business owner shared, "It was the time when there were almost no people on the streets. There were no customers at all, and it was so hard to pay rent that I barely managed to run my hair salon with loans. Thinking back to that time is still bleak," adding, "I was selected for Songpa-gu’s small business support project for facility improvement, receiving 1 million KRW and expert management coaching. When my accounting books were always in the red and I was struggling with rent and loans, it was like a ray of light."

The "Songpa-gu COVID-19 White Paper" will be distributed to related local institutions and can be accessed in the announcements section of the Songpa-gu Public Health Center website.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, "Imported infectious diseases continue to occur, and the cycle of new infectious disease outbreaks is shortening. Going forward, Songpa-gu will overcome any difficulties by joining forces with residents and will prioritize residents’ safety by actively responding to infectious disease disasters."