Gyeonggi Province Suspends Emergency Medical Support Team Recruitment… 1,159 Applicants in One Month

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hoon] Gyeonggi Province has provisionally suspended recruitment for the Gyeonggi Province Emergency Medical Support Team, which began on the 18th of last month in preparation for the rapid spread of COVID-19.

Kim Jae-hoon, director of the Gyeonggi Province Health and Wellness Bureau, held a regular press conference on the 18th and stated, "In the future, when COVID-19 outbreaks spread, we will recruit the emergency medical support team again to enable the deployment of emergency on-site personnel."

As of 4 p.m. on the 17th, a total of 1,159 medical professionals applied for the Gyeonggi Province Emergency Medical Support. By field, nurses account for the largest share at 47.6% with 552 people, followed by nursing assistants with 265 people and clinical pathologists with 80 people.
Gyeonggi Province has deployed a total of 83 medical personnel recruited so far to infectious disease dedicated hospitals, residential treatment centers, and home care system operating units for people in home isolation, based on region, conditions, and experience.
Currently, 73 medical personnel are active, including 64 at four medical centers such as Gyeonggi Province Medical Center Anseong Hospital and 9 at two residential treatment centers. The province plans to manage the remaining medical personnel through a professional personnel pool and deploy them for emergency situations such as COVID-19 to support activities for the health and lives of residents at medical sites.

As of 0 a.m. on the 18th, the number of confirmed cases in Gyeonggi Province increased by 36 compared to 0 a.m. the previous day, reaching a total of 4,089 cases, with confirmed cases occurring in 16 cities and counties within the province. The infection routes of new confirmed cases include 2 related to Siheung Central Hospital, 2 related to Kia Motors in Gwangmyeong, 3 related to an apartment cleaning service company in Anyang, and 5 related to overseas imports.

Regarding Siheung Central Hospital, four hospitalized patients were confirmed between the 9th and 10th, followed by two nurses confirmed on the 17th, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to a total of 6. The two additionally confirmed nurses tested positive in an intermediate test of 136 supplementary personnel deployed during cohort isolation within the hospital, with the remaining 134 testing negative. A full-staff test of the entire hospital was conducted on the 17th.

Following the confirmation of 10 cases including Kia Motors employees and their families in Gwangmyeong on the 16th, two additional cases were confirmed on the 17th, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to a total of 12. The additional confirmed cases are one employee and a family member of another employee. The province conducted tests on 135 employees between the 16th and 17th and classified contacts for home isolation measures. Additionally, a full test is planned for approximately 800 factory-related employees.

Regarding the apartment cleaning service company in Anyang, following the first confirmed case of a Seoul patient related to the company on the 16th, three additional coworkers were confirmed on the 17th. Ten employees who had close contact on the 16th when the first confirmed case occurred were tested and all tested negative, placed under self-isolation. Subsequently, on the 17th, three additional confirmed cases were identified in tests of 21 other employees.

As of 0 a.m. on the 18th, Gyeonggi Province has secured 646 confirmed patient treatment beds at a total of 15 hospitals, with 56.3% of currently used beds at 364 beds. As of 6 p.m. on the 17th, a total of 4 residential treatment centers, including Gyeonggi Capital 2 Residential Treatment Center and Residential Treatment Centers 3, 4, and 5, have 232 occupants, showing a 24% occupancy rate. The remaining available capacity is 736 people.