'New Coronavirus Panic' in Gwangju... The 'Dark Virus' Swallowing the City of Light

Empty Shops Near Hospital Where Confirmed Patient Stayed
Customer Numbers Plummet in Sammu District, the Largest Downtown Area
30 Facilities in Gwangsan-gu Closed, Only Screening Clinics Open

On the morning of the 7th, the main entrance of Gwangju 21st Century Hospital. The hospital door is firmly locked.

[Asia Economy Gwangju=Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The main gate was tied with a rope. The road during rush hour was quiet. Pedestrians wearing masks occasionally passed by but avoided each other. When asked for an interview, they made an X sign with their hands and hurried on their way.

This was the scene in Usan-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju on the morning of the 7th. Gwangsan-gu is home to Gwangju 21st Century Hospital. A patient who had been hospitalized there for a week was confirmed as the 16th COVID-19 case, and his daughter became the 18th confirmed case. The hospital has been closed since the 4th. The 22 patients and 3 guardians in the third-floor ward where the mother and daughter stayed are being isolated separately, one person each, on the 5th and 6th floors of the hospital.

In the Jeonnam and Gwangju regions, tension is rising as the 22nd patient was confirmed just one day after the 16th and 18th cases. The 22nd confirmed patient is the older brother of the 16th confirmed patient. It is understood that he traveled around Naju, Jeonnam, and Gwangju areas. Local concerns have also led to several incidents. On the 6th, a man in his 60s who had returned from China was found dead in his car in Sansu-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju. Although the police are treating it as an incident unrelated to the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), local residents remain uneasy. Additionally, a Taiwanese man detained at the Gwangju Northern Police Station on suspicion of voice phishing showed symptoms of fever and cough, leading to restricted access to the police station.

Most shops in front of the 21st Century Hospital remained closed until the morning of that day. The pharmacist at the almost only open pharmacy was available for conversation. Pharmacist Jang Mo (37) said, "There are almost no people on the streets. Even the pharmacy customers have significantly decreased, so local self-employed businesses must be struggling a lot." About an hour later, a nearby cafe opened. The owner said, "We disinfected the store and reopened, but I don't know if customers will come," adding, "The movement paths of the 16th confirmed patient have not been specifically disclosed yet, which increases anxiety."

From that day, Gwangsan-gu Office temporarily closed 30 welfare facilities near the residence of the 16th and 18th confirmed mother and daughter, including senior welfare centers, child centers, and libraries. Programs where residents gather were also suspended. The Gwangsan-gu Public Health Center temporarily stopped general medical treatment and is only operating the screening clinic. As soon as the screening clinic opened at 9 a.m., four local residents with suspected symptoms visited. Phone inquiries also continued. Two staff members at the screening clinic guide suspected patients. A woman in her 40s entered the screening clinic with a stern expression and left within three minutes, avoiding approaching reporters.

Around 9 p.m. on the 6th in Gwangju Sangmu District. The streets are quiet due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia).

The Sangmu district, Gwangju’s largest downtown area, was also sparsely populated. Most restaurants and pubs were operating normally, but the alleys were mostly empty. Park Chae-young (20), whom we met in the Sangmu district the day before, said, "I feel uneasy because the places I passed seem to overlap with the movement path of the 16th confirmed patient," adding, "Most patients have occurred in the metropolitan area, so I hadn’t worn a mask until now, but from today I am wearing a mask no matter what." Convenience stores in the Sangmu district reported a more than 30% decrease in customers over the past two days, and cases of hoarding more than 10 masks at once are frequent. Jo Mo (31), an employee at a pub A, said, "Customers have decreased by more than half compared to usual," and added, "Delivery orders have increased by 30%, which means people are not going outside at all."

The area around Songjeong Station in Gwangju also showed a quiet atmosphere, with only passengers getting off the KTX hurriedly catching taxis. Taxi driver Choi Jeong-dong (60) said, "There are almost no customers even during rush hours," and added, "There were about 15 to 20 calls from customers during rush hour, but today it has been cut in half."

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