Osan City Holds Meeting with COVID-19 Related Organizations

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Mayor Kwak Sang-wook of Osan City presided over a cooperation meeting with related organizations in the city at the city hall situation room on the 24th to explore response measures as the crisis alert level for COVID-19 response was raised to "critical."

The meeting was attended by approximately 30 people including Mayor Kwak Sang-wook, Osan City Council Chairman Jang In-soo, Osan Police Station Chief Cho Hee-ryeon, Osan Fire Station Chief Lee Jong-chung, the Hwaseong-Osan Office of Education Support, the 3rd Battalion Commander of the 168th Regiment, medical associations, pharmaceutical associations, childcare facility associations, Osan Korea Hospital, and civil servants.

Five divisions and two departments of the city explained the current status of COVID-19 response and informed related organizations of matters requiring cooperation. Representatives of related organizations also expressed their opinions.

Mayor Kwak Sang-wook said, "As the COVID-19 virus spreads rapidly in the community, preemptive and active cooperation from related organizations is necessary." He also instructed that the city coordinate with schools on support measures to prepare for Chinese international students at local universities ahead of the start of the semester.

He also said, "Through organic cooperation between childcare facilities and city-related departments, we must minimize childcare gaps resulting from the postponement of kindergarten and elementary, middle, and high school openings and prevent the spread of the virus in the community."

Representatives of related organizations acknowledged the severity of COVID-19, saying, "We will actively cooperate with the government and city quarantine measures to prevent spread and take preventive measures including preemptive quarantine measures within our organizations."

They also requested, saying, "We are having difficulty with prevention activities as we cannot obtain masks," and asked that "the city prepare measures to resolve the mask supply shortage and provide support to local organizations."