Suwon Mayor Yom Tae-young: "Please Refrain from Visiting Hometown During Lunar New Year Holiday"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Mayor Yom Tae-young appealed to citizens to "refrain from visiting their hometowns during the Lunar New Year holiday."

Mayor Yom posted a "public appeal regarding the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant" on his personal SNS on the 28th, urging "please refrain from visiting your hometown for the health of your elderly parents," and recommending that "if you must inevitably visit your hometown, only those who have received the third vaccination should stay as briefly as possible."

The number of daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Korea exceeded 10,000 for the first time on January 25th, and confirmed cases on the 26th reached 14,518, the highest since the outbreak of COVID-19. Suwon's confirmed cases exceeded 200 for the first time on January 21st, reaching 353 on the 25th and 365 on the 26th, setting new records daily.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the proportion of COVID-19 Omicron variant infections exceeded 50% for the first time in the third week of January (January 17-23).

Mayor Yom stated, "The spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant is severe," and added, "Suwon City has conducted an emergency review of the current quarantine system and established quarantine measures."

Suwon City will implement the following special Lunar New Year quarantine measures: ▲Expansion of designated medical institutions and establishment of dedicated home treatment organizations in preparation for a surge in confirmed cases ▲Establishment of emergency medical care systems during the holiday period ▲Strengthening quarantine at crematoriums and nursing hospitals and facilities ▲Normal operation of screening clinics and temporary screening test centers at all four district health centers during the holiday period.

Mayor Yom Tae-young requested, "When visiting your hometown or other regions during the Lunar New Year holiday and returning to Suwon, please proactively undergo diagnostic testing at expressway rest areas," and urged citizens to "actively participate in the third dose of preventive vaccination and comply with personal quarantine guidelines to slow the spread of the Omicron variant."

Meanwhile, temporary screening test centers will operate at Gyeongbu Line Anseong Rest Area (toward Seoul), Jungbu Line Icheon Rest Area (toward Hanam), and Yeongdong Line Yongin Rest Area (toward Incheon) during the holiday period.