Jeju Province Sees Stable COVID-19 Trend, Focuses on Protecting High-Risk Groups

After Peaking at 14 Cases in Week 27, Downward Trend Continues
Prolonged Heatwave Calls for Ongoing Preventive Measures such as Ventilation

COVID-19 Infection Test.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province announced that there were 66 COVID-19 hospitalizations over the past eight weeks (weeks 26 to 33), marking a 78% decrease compared to the same period last year (298 cases). Nationwide, however, the number of cases has been rising for seven consecutive weeks.

According to sentinel surveillance, the number of cases in Jeju peaked at 14 in week 27 and has since fluctuated, showing a relatively stable trend. In the wastewater surveillance project, which tests the concentration of the COVID-19 virus in influent water at sewage treatment plants, levels increased for six consecutive weeks up to week 31 but have declined for two consecutive weeks since week 32.

However, among the 66 hospitalized patients reported in the past eight weeks, 71% (47 individuals) were aged 65 or older, indicating that focused management of vulnerable groups remains necessary.

Jeju Province is concentrating on managing facilities vulnerable to infection to protect high-risk groups. In anticipation of potential cluster infections in facilities such as nursing homes, the province has established joint dedicated response teams with relevant departments and is operating a 24-hour emergency response system.

In facilities where cluster infections have occurred, infection control inspections and consulting are being conducted, along with education on patient isolation, management of residents and staff, and environmental disinfection. To ensure proper ventilation, which is key to preventing respiratory infections, ventilation assessments and consulting have also been provided for 17 facilities including nursing homes.

In particular, considering the high number of foreign workers in vulnerable facilities, Jeju has distributed multilingual COVID-19 prevention guidelines in 12 languages, including Chinese and Vietnamese, as part of tailored prevention efforts.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency stated on August 22 that although COVID-19 hospitalizations are increasing nationwide, the number of hospitalized patients in week 33 is only one-fifth of the same period last year (1,441 cases). Given the slowing pace of increase, the agency predicts that the outbreak will subside in August.

The province plans to continue closely monitoring domestic and international COVID-19 trends as well as the local situation, and to maintain preventive measures focused on vulnerable facilities.

Cho Sangbeom, Director of Safety and Health, stated, "Although the COVID-19 situation in Jeju is more stable than last year, high-risk groups still need to exercise caution," and urged, "Please follow basic preventive measures for respiratory infections, such as handwashing, cough etiquette, and regular indoor ventilation."