This Feb. 7, 2020, photo shows a medical worker entering Lotte Department Store in central Seoul after it was temporarily closed for decontamination following a recent visit there by a patient diagnosed with the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — Seoul city said Tuesday it has launched a telephone and online consulting service for foreigners on the novel coronavirus.
The Southwest Global Center, a support organization for non-Korean residents affiliated with the city government, operates the information line in eight languages — English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Pakistani, Nepalese, Mongolian and Uzbek.
The center will receive reports, provide consultation and, when requested, escort potential patients to hospitals.
The service is available via phone (02-2229-4900), KakaoTalk messenger service (swsgc), email (hotline@swsgc.co.kr) and the internet (www.swsgc.co.kr).
Foreigners speaking Japanese, Thai, Arabic, Russian and Indonesian languages will be transferred to the Seoul Global Center.
The city also said illegal foreign residents can also receive medical treatment without being reported to the immigration authorities.
Public medical personnel are exempt from the obligation to report to the authorities when they find violators of the immigration law on duty, the city noted.
As with Koreans, foreign coronavirus patients are treated for free and, if quarantined, receive living allowances for the period.
(Yonhap)
