Suwon City Takes Active Measures Against Third Wave of COVID-19, Introduces Rapid Antigen Tests First in Nation

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] As social distancing in the Seoul metropolitan area was raised to Level 2.5 from December 8 due to the third wave of COVID-19 outbreak, Suwon City is taking strong countermeasures, including introducing rapid antigen tests for the first time in the nation.

The city held an online briefing on December 8 through its YouTube channel to explain Suwon City's response measures to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cho Chung-sik, First Vice Mayor of Suwon City and Deputy Director of the City's Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, expressed concerns at the briefing, stating, "Since the first confirmed COVID-19 case occurred in January, Suwon City has faced its greatest crisis."

As of 8 a.m. on December 8, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Suwon stands at 428. The incidence rate per 100,000 population is 34.3 cases, and the confirmation rate—representing the proportion of confirmed cases among all tested individuals—is 0.61 percent. In December alone, 63 new positive cases were reported within just 8 days. Of these, 14 new cases occurred on a single day—December 7—marking the highest single-day increase since the outbreak began.

Vice Mayor Cho stated, "In the first and second waves, there were specific groups at the center of the outbreak, but now infection is spreading across all aspects of daily life. We are implementing preemptive measures to overcome this crisis situation."

The city has established countermeasures for rapid testing, epidemiological investigation, and isolation of confirmed and contact cases through ▲introducing rapid antigen tests ▲expanding health center personnel at screening clinics ▲expanding contact tracing temporary accommodation facilities.

Among these, the introduction of rapid antigen tests, which can provide results in 15 minutes, is the first in the nation. Vice Mayor Cho stated, "The rapid antigen test is scheduled to begin on December 10 as planned. We plan to prioritize distribution to vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals, adult day care centers, and social welfare facilities, with gradual expansion thereafter."

Additionally, Suwon City has decided to implement the following measures: ▲full cancellation of year-end events organized by the city, including New Year's Eve bell-ringing ceremonies ▲complete cancellation of non-work gatherings and meals at City Hall, four district offices, business divisions, dong administrative welfare centers, and cooperative/related agencies, and prohibition of unnecessary business trips ▲limiting facility usage to 30 percent of normal capacity at museums, art galleries, libraries, public cultural facilities, public welfare facilities, and other facilities, while maintaining quarantine guidelines by facility type.