GS Home Shopping Employee Tests Positive for Novel Coronavirus... Not Detected by Thermal Imaging Camera

No Broadcast Interruption... "Additional Measures Under Discussion"

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] Amid a GS Home Shopping employee testing positive for the novel coronavirus (Wuhan pneumonia), it has been revealed that the thermal imaging cameras installed at the company failed to detect symptoms in advance.

GS Home Shopping announced on the 6th that one employee at its headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted the novel coronavirus on the evening of the 5th. This employee belonged to the broadcasting support department and was responsible for assigning cast members.

The employee is believed to have been infected while living in the same building as a confirmed patient’s family member who tested positive on the 2nd. The employee had been commuting to the headquarters until the 30th of last month, then worked from home, and was confirmed as a novel coronavirus patient on the evening before. It is also known that the thermal imaging cameras installed at the company’s main entrance last week failed to detect symptoms in advance.

The company ordered department members working on the same team as the confirmed patient to work from home for 14 days starting from the 2nd. The in-house daycare center at headquarters was also decided to be closed. Employees were given behavioral guidelines to wear masks unconditionally inside the company, and the building was scheduled for disinfection. Additionally, all staff meetings were banned and group events were canceled.

However, criticism has arisen among employees that, since the infection risk was recognized as high from the 30th of last month, the company may have failed to take proactive measures such as prior notification or closing the daycare center.

A GS Home Shopping official said, "We are holding emergency meetings to discuss additional measures," but added, "The confirmed patient was not someone working on-site in the studio, and suspension of broadcasting scheduling is not currently under consideration."

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