Confirmed COVID-19 Case in Jeju Tourist from China Purchased Antipyretics During Trip

Pharmacist: "It was an antipyretic analgesic containing cough and fever-reducing ingredients"

As fear of the novel coronavirus infection spreads in the Jeju community, domestic and international travelers arriving through Jeju International Airport on the morning of the 2nd are heading to the parking lot armed with masks.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] It has been confirmed that a Chinese tourist in her 50s, who was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) after visiting Jeju, purchased antipyretic analgesics at a local pharmacy during her stay.

According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on the 3rd, a Chinese tourist A (52, female), who visited Jeju without a visa and was later diagnosed positive after returning to China, purchased antipyretic analgesics at a pharmacy located on Nuwemaru Street in Yeondong, Jeju City, on the 24th of last month.

The pharmacist at the pharmacy reportedly told the provincial quarantine officials in an interview, "Ms. A came into the pharmacy and showed the medicine she had," adding, "Upon checking, the medicine was an antipyretic analgesic containing ingredients for cough and fever relief."

Accordingly, the province placed five staff members of the accommodation in Yeondong where Ms. A stayed under quarantine. They also began analyzing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to identify people who had contact with Ms. A in Jeju.

It was additionally confirmed that Ms. A entered Jeju via Yangzhou after departing from Wuhan, China, verifying that she is originally from Wuhan.

Jeju Island health authorities are distributing masks and other items on the morning of the 28th at the domestic arrivals floor of Jeju International Airport to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The province reported that Ms. A showed fever symptoms from the 26th, the day after returning to China, and was notified by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that she was removed from the management target list.

Ms. A is known to have moved between tourist sites mainly using buses.

The Jeju Regional Aviation Office received notification from a Chinese airline that Ms. A was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus infection on the 30th of last month and relayed this information to Jeju Province and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Meanwhile, the government forecasted that the next one to ten days would be a critical period in responding to the novel coronavirus infection.

Park Neung-hoo, Minister of Health and Welfare and head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for the novel coronavirus infection, said at a meeting held at the Government Sejong Complex on the 3rd, "As the infection is spreading in China, we judge that the next one to ten days will be a truly important turning point."

Accordingly, the government will prepare and distribute new quarantine standards for managing contacts of confirmed cases by the 4th.

They will also begin securing budgets for living support expenses and paid leave costs to support contacts entering self-quarantine.

On the 2nd, the government strengthened quarantine for contacts of confirmed patients by eliminating the distinction between close and casual contacts and mandating 14 days of self-quarantine for all contacts. Those who do not cooperate with quarantine may face criminal charges and fines of up to 3 million won.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.