Gyeonggi Province Prepares Comprehensive Chuseok Holiday Measures

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] Gyeonggi Province has prepared a "comprehensive Chuseok holiday measure" for the safe and comfortable holiday of residents, and announced on the 21st that it will actively respond to COVID-19 spread and safety accidents that may occur during the holiday period.

This comprehensive Chuseok holiday measure consists of a total of 10 fields: ▲COVID-19 infectious disease response ▲civil complaints ▲transportation ▲livelihood stability ▲vulnerable group support ▲emergency medical services ▲accident preparedness ▲supervision and enforcement ▲environmental pollution response ▲establishment of public official conduct.

To this end, the province plans to establish a "comprehensive Chuseok holiday control center" and emergency duty system for five days from September 30 to October 4 to minimize inconvenience to residents.

In particular, due to concerns about COVID-19 spread following large-scale migration of residents, the province will organize and operate a quarantine response team, and prepare response teams in resident livelihood areas such as price stabilization and support for underprivileged classes to ensure a safe and comfortable Chuseok holiday.

Reports of inconvenience during the holiday can be made to the "120 Gyeonggi Province Call Center".

■COVID-19 Infectious Disease Response
The province operates screening clinics at six Gyeonggi Province Medical Centers and health centers throughout the province to support immediate testing. Additionally, in preparation for additional confirmed cases, the province will operate dedicated infectious disease hospitals and life treatment centers, and operate epidemiological investigators in each city and county to conduct thorough epidemiological investigations when confirmed cases occur. Among those who have contacted confirmed cases, close contacts are classified as home quarantine subjects and are continuously monitored for daily symptom manifestation and unauthorized absence.

■Civil Complaints Measures
The 120 Gyeonggi Province Call Center (031-120) will operate 24 hours during the holiday to accept resident inconveniences, and also provide traffic information and emergency medical institutions guidance, foreign resident consultation, and more.

■Transportation and Delivery Measures
To ensure the safety of residents using public transportation, mask-wearing for passengers is mandatory, hand sanitizers are provided, and vehicles and terminals are disinfected at least once daily. Additionally, to provide convenient movement for residents, real-time road traffic information is provided through the Gyeonggi Transportation Information Center website (gits.gg.go.kr), mobile web (mgits.gg.go.kr), mobile app (Gyeonggi Traffic Information), and Twitter (@16889090). The frequency of intercity bus operations and taxi prohibition system are flexibly operated according to returning travelers' demand.

■Price Management and Protection of Livelihood Measures
Starting from the 21st, the province will operate a "comprehensive price stabilization situation room" for the Chuseok holiday, designate 16 holiday specialty items including agricultural, livestock, and aquatic products as key management targets, and operate a price responsibility system jointly with cities and counties. Price responsibility managers plan to monitor price increase trends for holiday specialty items and take the lead in promoting use of local currency and Onnuri gift cards and activation of traditional markets.
Additionally, to promote labor rights of residents, the province will operate a wage arrears reporting center by telephone to provide wage arrears consultation and support.

■Expanded Support for Vulnerable Groups and Provision of Social Welfare Services
For elderly living alone totaling 73,053 people, customized elderly care services are provided including reorganization of emergency contact information, compilation of high-risk target lists, and periodic welfare checks. To respond to emergency situations, 3,919 life managers and emergency safety alert personnel will be deployed.
The province sent letters and consolation funds to social welfare facilities on the 18th to support vulnerable groups, and has completed delivery of side dishes and meal kits and provision of food coupons in preparation for holiday gaps in meals for at-risk children, with plans to provide lists of restaurants operating during the holiday and alternative food options.

■Chuseok Holiday Emergency Medical Services System and Quarantine Measures
To prevent treatment gaps and maintain emergency medical systems, emergency medical care control centers, designated hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies will operate during the holiday period. Inquiries to the 120 call center, 119 emergency management center, or 129 health and welfare call center will provide information on emergency medical institutions and designated hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. Real-time confirmation is also possible through the Gyeonggi Province Government website (gg.go.kr), Central Emergency Medical Center website (www.e-gen.or.kr), and emergency medical information provision app.

■Safety Inspection of Vulnerable Facilities and Strengthened Disaster Response Posture
All fire services will enter special alert duty during the holiday period. In particular, 75 dedicated ambulances will be deployed for transport of COVID-19 confirmed and suspected cases, and active ambulance activities will be promoted including inspection of access routes and maintenance of emergency contact information for related personnel to ensure smooth access to temporary isolation facilities. Additionally, non-face-to-face autonomous safety inspections and consulting for fire safety management at vulnerable facilities will be conducted until October 5, and various campaigns including relay articles on fire safety and gift fire extinguishers for ancestral homes will be promoted.

■Agricultural, Livestock, and Aquatic Product Price Stabilization and Supervision·Enforcement
From the 21st to the 25th, the province will conduct hygiene inspections on 120 school meal ingredient suppliers and 240 manufacturers, and investigate food quality defects including origin misrepresentation, expired expiration dates, and unauthorized manufacturing. Measures to prohibit distribution such as seizure and destruction will be taken for substandard foods.

■Household Waste Management and Special Environmental Pollution Surveillance
Cities and counties will operate mobile response teams to rapidly respond to household waste collection complaints. To prevent discharge of environmental pollutants, special surveillance of major rivers and emergency duty for chemical accidents will be implemented to respond to environmental pollution and safety accidents that may occur during the holiday period.