[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] On the 6th, marking 200 days since South Korea's first confirmed COVID-19 case, Suwon City held a '200-Day COVID-19 Response Mid-Term Review Report Meeting' presided over by Vice Mayor Jo Mu-young at City Hall.
Attendees reviewed the response efforts over the past 200 days and discussed future response measures.
On January 20, South Korea's first confirmed COVID-19 case occurred. It was a Chinese woman who entered Incheon Airport from Wuhan, China.
On the morning of January 22, the city held an 'Emergency Response Meeting on Novel Coronavirus Infection' and immediately formed a 'Novel Coronavirus Response Task Force' to begin full-scale COVID-19 response efforts.
Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young posted '1st Report on Suwon City's Novel Coronavirus Response' on his personal SNS, pledging to "prioritize citizen safety and pursue an 'excessive response' to COVID-19."
The city disclosed confirmed case information and COVID-19 response status to citizens via SNS. As of the 6th, 566 reports on COVID-19 response have been posted on Mayor Yeom's SNS.
On January 27, the Ministry of Health and Welfare escalated the infectious disease crisis alert level from 'Caution' to 'Alert.' The city also upgraded its infectious disease response task force to a Disaster Safety Response Headquarters and strengthened response efforts.
The city noted that "Suwon City's proactive response has become a model for local government COVID-19 prevention."
On February 18, the city became the first basic local government nationwide to operate temporary housing for COVID-19 confirmed case contacts (Suwon Youth Hostel).
On March 26, the city became the first nationwide to operate temporary testing facilities (Central Election Management Commission Election Training Institute) where asymptomatic overseas entrants could stay while awaiting COVID-19 diagnostic test results. From May 11 onwards, the temporary testing facility for overseas entrants and temporary housing for confirmed case contacts have been integrated and operated (Suwon Youth Hostel).
On March 27, the city signed business agreements with five hotels in the region and launched the 'Peace of Mind Lodging' service, allowing families of overseas entrants residing in Suwon to use hotels at discounted rates while their family members are in home quarantine.
Suwon City's overseas entrant management policies, including the 'temporary testing facility for overseas entrants' and 'Peace of Mind Lodging service,' which were first introduced nationwide, spread across the country and played a major role in preventing disease spread.
There was also an achievement in realizing the 'transfer of epidemiological investigation authority to basic local governments,' which Mayor Yeom Tae-young had continuously recommended to the government since the 2015 'MERS Crisis.' The National Assembly held a plenary session on February 26 and processed the 'Corona 3 Laws,' including partial amendments to the 'Infectious Disease Prevention and Management Act.'
The city established a close cooperation system with the Suwon Medical Association, police, and fire departments to prevent COVID-19 spread.
Doctors belonging to the Suwon Medical Association, including Chairman Kim Ji-hoon, volunteered to collect samples at screening clinics in four district health centers as diagnostic test numbers surged.
Personnel from Suwon Fire Department and Suwon South Fire Department have been transporting suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients to medical facilities, while police departments in the Suwon area, including Suwon Central, South, and West Police Departments, operate 'Rapid Response Teams' to support legal proceedings against infectious disease prevention law violators, epidemiological investigations of confirmed cases, and disinfection efforts.
Citizens also played a major role in preventing COVID-19 spread. Private voluntary prevention teams consistently disinfected multi-use facilities, vulnerable areas, and welfare facilities, while Suwon City volunteers made approximately 52,000 cloth masks from February 28 to March 30, when citizens faced difficulty obtaining masks, and distributed them to where masks were needed.
The '200-Day COVID-19 Response Mid-Term Review Report Meeting' was attended by members of the medical community including Suwon Medical Association, Dental Association, Korean Medicine Association, and Nursing Association; Ajou University Hospital, Catholic University Songeui Hospital, Dongsuwon Hospital, and Gyeonggi Province Medical Center Suwon Hospital; Suwon Pharmacists Association; related agencies including Suwon South Police Station, Suwon Fire Department, and Suwon South Fire Department; and private organizations including Suwon Volunteer Center.
The meeting proceeded with a special lecture by Lee Hee-young, Director of Gyeonggi Province Infectious Disease Management Support Center, COVID-19 response progress reports, remarks from Vice Speaker Kim Ki-jung of the Suwon City Council and Vice Mayor Jo Mu-young, and discussion of future response directions.
As of August 6, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Suwon was 134 (21 cases confirmed at quarantine offices). Of the 134 cases, 126 have been discharged.
Suwon's confirmed cases per 100,000 population is 9.4, approximately one-third of the national average (27.6). The confirmation rate compared to COVID-19 diagnostic tests is 0.34%, about 37% of the national average (0.91%).
The city plans to systematically operate epidemiological investigation teams in preparation for a 'second COVID-19 outbreak' and improve screening clinic operations to minimize secondary infections. The city will operate walk-through diagnostic testing booths and plans to reopen 'Peace of Mind Car screening clinics' (drive-through) if large numbers of confirmed cases occur.
Additionally, when the number of home quarantine subjects reaches 400 or more, the city plans to establish an integrated dedicated task force and will pursue criminal charges against those violating home quarantine, planning to manage quarantine subjects more efficiently.
Lee Hee-young, Director of Gyeonggi Province Infectious Disease Management Support Center, who delivered a special lecture on the theme of 'Current Status of Infectious Diseases and Second-Half COVID-19 Response Directions,' emphasized, "Thorough preparation must be made to prepare for a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak," and stressed, "The number of confirmed cases can be reduced only with proper social distancing."
Vice Mayor Jo Mu-young stated, "I express my gratitude to all medical professionals, pharmacists, police, firefighters, and citizens who have done their best to prevent COVID-19 spread," adding, "Thanks to your hard work and sacrifice, we were able to contain community transmission to a manageable level."
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