A worker at a public library in the southern island of Jeju give reserved books to drivers at the Book Drive-thru Service at its parking lot on March 11, 2020, as the library has been temporarily closed amid the spread of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 12 (Korea Bizwire) — In South Korea, drive-throughs have been used on many different occasions to tackle the novel coronavirus.
For one, an Army boot camp at the 6th Infantry Division decided to ask families and friends to drop off new recruits from their cars without permitting vehicles to be parked.
Family members, friends, and loved ones had to turn drive away as soon as they dropped off the recruits to enter the boot camp on their own.
Moreover, so-called ‘book drive-through’ services that allow drivers to borrow books without having to leave their cars is gaining popularity.
The Jeju provincial government said Wednesday that two public libraries began offering a drive-through service to allow book lovers to check out books they want even when the libraries are closed.
The service allows users to drive up to the library and pick up books that they have checked out in advance.
Seoul’s Seongdong District will also offer a drive-through book borrowing service until March 22.
(image: Seongdong District Office)
Drive-through test centers for the COVID-19, first initiated in South Korea, are being introduced worldwide as the pandemic continues to spread.
People suspected of coronavirus infection can drive their car down to a nearby drive-through test center to have their symptoms checked without having to leave their vehicle.
Drive-through centers reduce the risk of transmission since people don’t have to wait in groups, while they also help minimize contact between the medical staff and the suspected patient.
South Korea now offers drive-through test centers in almost all metropolitan cities.
And other countries have been inspired by South Korea’s drive-through test centers to quickly address the worsening pandemic situation.
A drive-through coronavirus test center in Goyang, South Korea on March 4, 2020, (Yonhap)
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Tuesday that Repatriation Hospital, located on the outskirts of Adelaide, opened the country’s first drive-through test center for coronavirus.
Once the drive-through service turns out to be successful, more drive-through test centers are expected to be set up in neighboring hospitals.
The University of Washington Medical Center, located in Seattle, Washington, also opened up a drive-through test center recently.
In Europe, a number of countries including England, Germany, Belgium, and Denmark have opened drive-through test centers.
A drive-through test center that has recently opened in Rossett, Wrexham in England, and the ones in Nürtingen and Esslingen in Germany have begun operations to test suspected patients.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
