Goyang stands out for drive-thru testing center

Lee Jae-joon, mayor of Goyang in Gyeonggi Province, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in his office, April 23. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

By Kim Se-jeong/Kim Eil-chul

On Feb. 20, Mayor Lee Jae-joon of Goyang in Gyeonggi Province sat with his public health department colleagues, directors of local medical centers and infectious diseases experts to discuss how to respond to the fast spread of COVID-19.

A couple of days earlier, the super spreader from the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu was confirmed, pushing up the number of new cases fast. In Goyang, people began packing the city's testing centers, with many waiting in long lines to get tested.

"The rooms were too small to house all these people while they were waiting. They were vulnerable to infecting each other. We needed to do something," Mayor Lee said.

During that meeting, a medical expert whose identity is unknown proposed an option of testing people in their cars ― he said he had heard about that method at a conference ― and city officials decided to follow up on it in a separate meeting.

Over the next six days, city officials drew a blueprint for the drive-thru testing system in which people are interviewed, examined and have samples collected all while seated in their car. With this method, healthcare workers are able to have themselves disinfected separately after collecting specimens from potentially infected patients.

On Feb. 26, the drive-thru testing center, called "Goyang Ansim Car Testing Station," was set up at a city's public parking lot and began receiving people. Ansim means a sense of safety or relief in Korean.

Healthcare workers conduct the COVID-19 test at the drive-thru testing center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Feb. 26. Courtesy of Goyang city government

It turned out to be a great success.

On the first day of operation, 384 were tested ― a total of 3,500 were tested there up until April 19 when the installation was shut down due to low demand.

By March 4, the central government took the city's method as the official testing model and inquiries poured into Goyang City from other local governments wishing to benchmark the idea.

The drive-thru also drew attention from overseas as the virus spread across the world. Goyang's example was widely written about by international media outlets, and many governments outside Korea approached Goyang with an interest in benchmarking the city's procedure.

On March 13, U.S. President Donald Trump announced installation of a drive-thru facility to help contain the fast spread of the virus in the country.

Earlier this month, the drive-thru was also mentioned as one of the key pillars in the Korean government's COVID-19 response manual drafted to share its experience with other countries.

But Goyang's initiative was not the first of its kind in Korea. Three days earlier on Feb. 23, Daegu started a drive-thru testing center at the Kyungpook National University Hospital compound, but Mayor Lee said Goyang's facilities had one outstanding advantage.

"In Daegu, the drive-thru testing center ran on a reservation basis. But we were able to take all in as they came."

The facilities have greatly contributed to Korea curbing the number of cases. On Tuesday, Korea reported a total of 10,761 COVID-19 infections, and additional daily cases stood at just nine.

Additionally, the city's response to a mask shortage also drew attention from the central government.

On Jan. 26, one day after the city reported its first cases, the city purchased 600,000 masks, worth 300 million won, and gave them out for free to vulnerable residents. By Feb. 5, the city began cracking down on mask manufacturers for hoarding the product.

On March 2, the mayor proposed an ID check for all mask purchasers, and the central government adopted this idea three days later.

"We're proud that the city's ideas are contributing to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," the mayor said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. "This also reflects how successful my city's response has been."

The mayor said the city government's success could be attributed to strong communication and collaboration with two public and four private large hospitals in the city.

Government officials and representatives from the medical centers have been meeting regularly to share information and devise measures to address the needs of the people.

This also made it possible for the city's 10 testing centers to have enough healthcare workers on duty at all times to examine and collect specimens. Goyang's Medical Doctors' Association sent 104 volunteers to the testing centers and six medical centers sent a total of 102.

Goyang also established a collaborative channel with the neighboring cities of Gimpo and Paju with which it implemented social-distancing campaigns.

Goyang's first case was reported Jan. 25, involving a Korean national resident of Wuhan who visited his family during the Lunar New Year holiday. As of Wednesday, the city has reported 39 cases, with one death. Those under self-quarantine number 867.

As the number of new cases dwindles, the city's response priority has moved to monitoring those under self-quarantine who for the most part have returned to Korea from overseas visits.

The city government picks up residents from the airport then has them tested at the KINTEX Camping site. For those who need a place to stay isolated for 14 days, the city rented caravans and tents and subsidized hotel accommodation fee.

Entertaining self-quarantine patients is also an important task. City officials deliver books from local libraries and give out potted plants. A home exercise video, in particular, drew praise from people for its creative thinking, as the city hired personal trainers who lost their jobs because of the pandemic to create the workout videos.

Lee said he thanked protestant churches in the city for complying with the city government's recommendation to stay closed.

Despite the recommendation, many churches in other parts of Korea kept their doors open for worship services, some of which became breeding grounds for COVID-19 infections.

"In Goyang, the churches started to close in February. We invited their leaders to City Hall. Also, we went out to big churches to persuade them individually," Mayor Lee said.

Goyang Mayor Lee Jae-joon during the interview on April 23/ Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

The mayor was positive that the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrates what Koreans can achieve when under pressure.

"It was difficult in the beginning but we have passed through that time together and that demonstrates what we are capable of," Lee said.