Uiwang City Expands Operating Hours for COVID-19 Screening Centers

[Suwon Ilbo=Seo Dong-young] Uiwang City announced on the 18th that it will expand the operating hours of its COVID-19 screening centers as asymptomatic coronavirus infections continue to increase steadily in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The expansion will be in effect until January 3 of next year, with weekday hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekend and holiday hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The reason for the extended hours is to allow office workers and younger people to get tested after work, enabling rapid testing of asymptomatic infections among young people to prevent community spread.

Anyone who wishes to be tested regardless of symptoms is eligible. Testing is free of charge and conducted on a walk-in basis without advance reservations.

Those who wish to be tested anonymously can use a temporary testing center set up at the Cheonggye Health Clinic (19 Deokjang-ro, Cheonggye Community Center, Uiwang City).

Kim Jae-bok, director of the health center, said, "The incubation period for COVID-19 averages five to seven days but can be up to one month. Transmission is possible during the incubation period before symptoms appear, and it has been reported that 26.7% of confirmed COVID-19 patients hospitalized show no symptoms, making management of asymptomatic infections important." He added, "I urge all citizens not to worry about COVID-19 infection and to visit the nearest health clinic for testing."