Seoul City pushes to introduce rapid COVID-19 tests at schools, religious venues

SEOUL, April 13  -- The Seoul metropolitan government is pushing to introduce rapid COVID-19 self-testing kits in schools, universities and religious facilities as part of its new campaign to safely reopen the city, officials said Tuesday, reported Yonhap.

Under new Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who took office on Thursday, the city government has been working on a coronavirus response scheme tailored to the needs of individual businesses, raising concerns about potential inconsistencies with the policies of the central government.

On Monday, Oh, a member of the main opposition People Power Party, told a press briefing that his administration will look for ways to extend the operating hours of small businesses, which have been hit hard by the pandemic, and asked the central government to approve the use of rapid self-testing kits at these establishments, citing karaoke businesses as an example.

"Although the mayor mentioned karaoke establishments, we plan to decide on the exact locations through consultations at related meetings," a city official said. "We decided to listen to experts' opinions before proceeding."

As of Tuesday, the city government is looking to prioritise schools, universities and religious facilities in its plan for introducing the rapid self-testing kits, according to the official, which the city has stressed is subject to continued consultations with the central government.

Oh raised the issue during his first Cabinet meeting with President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday.

"If we are to immediately start using the rapid testing kits that have already been approved abroad, we will not only be able to create better conditions for the normalisation of in-person classes for our students while maintaining the level of our antivirus fight, but further relieve the concerns of parents," he said, according to a summary of his remarks provided by the metropolitan government.

The mayor went further to mention religious facilities, restaurants and retail businesses as examples of establishments that could benefit from the move.

"The Seoul city government plans to run a pilot programme using the rapid antigen tests approved by the government," he said. "But this method is difficult for use on a wide scale, so I urge the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to swiftly approve the (foreign-approved) rapid testing kits that are convenient to use and quickly produce results."

At a meeting with experts on COVID-19, Do Jong-hwan, interim leader of the ruling Democratic Party, however, expressed his reservations about Oh's campaign.

"The fight against COVID-19 is not a political issue but a matter of people's lives and the safety of communities," he said. "Seoul and other local governments should cooperate with the health authorities and offer their support."

-- BERNAMA