○ Gyeonggi Province’s drive-thru screening centers will operate daily from 9 AM to 8 PM, starting this weekend, with one in the northern region of the province and one in the southern region.

○ Reservations are required and can be made by calling the Gyeonggi-do Call Center (031-120).

The Gyeonggi Provincial Government will begin the full-fledged operation of two large-scale COVID-19 screening centers equipped with cutting-edge facilities.

According to a statement released by the Gyeonggi Provincial Government on March 6, the southern center will operate from March 7 (Saturday) in the parking lot of Suwon World Cup Stadium, and the northern center will be open on March 8 (Sunday) in the parking lot of the northern Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex in Uijeongbu City. The centers will operate daily from 9 AM and 8 PM. Testing during initial operations, however, will be only be performed from 10 AM to 8 PM on November 7 and 8.

COVID-19 tests will be carried out in a “drive-thru” manner, enabling visitors to be tested while inside their vehicles. While a suspected carrier travels along a one-way route in a vehicle, medical staff, including doctors and nurses, conduct test procedures in the following order: (1) identification/verbal interview of suspected carrier; (2) consultation (sample collection, etc.); (3) guidebook provision; and (4) disinfection.

These two screening centers with 10 negative-pressure facilities have the capacity to test up to 600 people a day. Of particular note, the drive-thru operation has been recognized as a fast and safe testing system since it minimizes contact with patients and reduces testing time, thereby mitigating infection and transmission risks associated with medical institutions.

In addition, in response to a large number of suspected patients, the centers were also designed to perform walk-in tests, enabling their use in various ways depending on circumstances surrounding the spread of COVID-19.

Telephone reservations via the Gyeonggi-do Call Center (031-120) are required for testing as the screening centers operate through a reservation system.

With the establishment of large-scale screening centers, Gyeonggi Province expects that a large number of tests can be performed rapidly even in the event of many suspected cases of COVID-19, and plans to continue operating the screening centers until the COVID-19 pandemic is resolved.

Once the current crisis passes, the container-type testing stations will be assigned to medical centers and used to treat other infectious diseases, such as measles and tuberculosis.

Choi Won-yong, Gyeonggi Province Assistant Governor for Planning and Coordination, said, “We remain fully committed to ensuring that the facilities, equipment, and personnel at our screening centers serve both medical personnel staff and patients through pleasant and safe tests so as to protect provincial residents from COVID-19.”