100 Days of COVID-19, Suwon City Says "Responded Swiftly and Transparently"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] As the nation approaches the 100th day since the first confirmed COVID-19 case on the 30th, Suwon City is receiving praise for its contribution to preventing the spread of the virus by openly and transparently disclosing information to prevent confusion caused by COVID-19.

As of the 29th, there are 50 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Suwon City. The first confirmed case in the country was a Chinese woman who entered Incheon Airport from Wuhan, China on January 20. The government raised the infectious disease crisis alert level from "attention" to "caution."

Two days later, Suwon City convened an emergency response meeting and formed a "Novel Coronavirus Response Task Force Team."

Over the following 100 days, the city responded "swiftly" whenever new situations arose and "transparently" disclosed all information to citizens.

Suwon City Mayor Yeom Tae-young posted "Suwon City Novel Coronavirus Response Report No. 1" on his personal SNS on the 22nd and promised, "We will prioritize citizen safety and respond with 'excessive caution' to COVID-19."

The city also informed citizens 2-3 times daily of COVID-19 response situations, confirmed case information, and detailed routes. As of the 29th, a total of 328 COVID-19 response posts have been made on Mayor Yeom's SNS and the city website.

On January 23, eight "screening clinics" were installed at four district health centers and four hospitals. By April 27, 16,448 people used the screening clinics, and specimens from 10,182 of them were collected for diagnostic testing.

After the fourth confirmed case occurred nationally on January 27, the Ministry of Health and Welfare escalated the infectious disease crisis alert level from "caution" to "alert," and Suwon City also upgraded the Infectious Disease Response Task Force to a "Disaster and Safety Response Headquarters" and raised its response level.

From the next day onwards, civil servants have worked 24 hours in the Response Headquarters established in the City Hall Disaster and Safety Situation Room, responding immediately when situations arise.

The first confirmed case in Suwon City occurred on February 2. It was a man in his 40s who had entered from Wuhan, China. The city convened an emergency response meeting and decided to respond at a level equivalent to the "severe" stage, the highest level of crisis alert.

All childcare facilities in the city were ordered to close temporarily from February 3, and all public facilities and neighborhood community center programs in Suwon were suspended.

On February 5, the second confirmed case in Suwon City occurred. It was a relative living in the same building as the first confirmed case.

Mayor Yeom Tae-young determined that "home self-quarantine" alone could not completely prevent infection within families and instructed, "Prepare a facility for close contacts of confirmed cases to stay during their self-quarantine period using Suwon City's own resources."

The city decided to use 30 rooms (1st and 2nd floors) of the Suwon Youth Hostel as a temporary shelter for close contacts and began operating the facility on February 18.

It was the first temporary shelter for close contacts of COVID-19 confirmed cases among basic local governments nationwide.

Beginning with the admission of three family members of the 1st and 2nd confirmed cases in Suwon on February 19, family members of confirmed cases and close contacts underwent self-quarantine at the temporary shelter. By the 28th, 75 people were admitted, and 67 completed self-quarantine and were discharged. As of the 29th, eight people are in self-quarantine at the temporary shelter.

On February 7, Vice Mayor Jo Cheong-sik and international student managers from three universities in the city (Kyonggi University, Sungkyunkwan University Natural Science Campus, Ajou University) met to discuss measures to manage international students arriving from COVID-19 outbreak countries.

After the meeting, the city and the three universities discussed joint response measures, and Mayor Yeom Tae-young and the presidents of the three universities signed a "Joint Response Agreement for Prevention and Spread Prevention of COVID-19 in the Community" on February 14.

A "COVID-19 Joint Response Council" was formed, and they cooperated closely to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They also shared information about international students entering from countries with confirmed COVID-19 cases and monitored them together. To date, no confirmed cases among international students have occurred.

On March 8, the first confirmed case of overseas entry in Suwon City (the 17th confirmed case in Suwon) occurred. The next day, one family member of the confirmed case was infected and confirmed.

The city considered ways for overseas arrivals to avoid contact with family until the results of COVID-19 diagnostic testing were received, and on March 26, it began operating nationwide the first temporary testing facility (Central Election Management Commission Election Research Institute) where asymptomatic overseas arrivals could stay for 1-2 days until receiving test results.

Overseas arrivals were transported from airports to temporary testing facilities by shuttle van to prevent contact with others. Admitted individuals had specimens collected and stayed at the facility for 1-2 days until diagnostic test results were received. Beginning with 26 admissions on the first day, 767 people used the temporary testing facility by April 28. As of the 27th, five citizens received a "COVID-19 confirmed" diagnosis after diagnostic testing at the temporary testing facility.

Additional infections were prevented by thorough isolation until diagnostic test results were available.

On March 27, the city signed business agreements with five hotels in the city including Value High-End Hotel Suwon and Ibis Ambassador Suwon. It launched a "safe accommodation" service allowing families of overseas arrivals residing in Suwon to use hotels at discounted rates while undergoing self-quarantine at home.

Families of overseas arrivals can use hotels at rates discounted up to 70% from regular accommodation rates. By the 28th, 395 people (234 households) had reserved the safe accommodation service.

Suwon City's "temporary testing facility for overseas arrivals" and "safe accommodation service," both introduced nationwide first, are spreading across the country. Approximately 40 local governments nationwide have adopted and operate overseas arrival temporary testing facilities and safe accommodation services.

Suwon City consistently provided masks to vulnerable populations. On March 17-18, masks were delivered to pregnant women who had difficulty visiting pharmacies due to infection risks, with 5 masks per person (2 KF94 masks, 3 general masks) delivered to their homes.

In addition, masks were provided to approximately 16,400 "severely disabled persons" and approximately 500 elderly people collecting discarded paper.

Mask distributors (3 masks: 1 KF94 mask, 2 general masks) were delivered to severely disabled individuals by leaders of each neighborhood, and KF94 masks (4 masks) were distributed to elderly paper collectors by each neighborhood administrative welfare centers.

Masks were distributed to all childcare facilities and kindergartens, and elementary, middle, and high schools in the city so that children and students could receive them when returning after facility closures and online classes ended. A total of 439,000 masks will be distributed to approximately 183,200 people.

On April 2, the city announced a plan to support "Suwon City Disaster Basic Income." Suwon City Disaster Basic Income provides 100,000 won per person to all citizens registered as residents of Suwon City as of 0:00 on April 2.

Disaster basic income support began on the 9th. Within 18 days of accepting applications for disaster basic income, as of April 27, the number of applicants exceeded one million. As of 9 PM on April 28, the number of applicants reached 1,017,538.

Among 1,192,724 eligible citizens for disaster basic income, 85.31% applied. Among applicants, 89.48% have received payment.

Disaster basic income is expected to help revitalize the local economy, which has been depressed due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Together with the Gyeonggi Community Chest, the city has been conducting a "Overcoming Suwon Together with the Love Fruit" sharing campaign allowing people to donate disaster basic income starting April 9. By April 28, the total raised was 283.44 million won (1,565 cases).

Donations will be quickly distributed to citizens affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

Citizens wishing to donate can deposit funds into the special fund account (Nonghyup 317-0003-8354-31, Account holder: Gyeonggi Community Chest) or place donations in collection boxes installed at each neighborhood administrative welfare center.

Each neighborhood administrative welfare center operates a donation consultation counter. Citizens can select those they wish to help—small business owners, unemployed youth, low-income and disadvantaged residents—through designated donation forms to donate.