The 23rd Confirmed Chinese Patient Visits Lotte Department Store Main Branch and Gongdeok E-Mart (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The 23rd confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) in South Korea, a 57-year-old Chinese woman, was confirmed to have traveled through department stores in Seoul as well as Seodaemun-gu and Mapo-gu after entering the country from Wuhan last month.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced in a regular briefing on the 7th that the 23rd patient developed symptoms on the 3rd and visited department stores and large supermarkets from one day before symptom onset until the time of isolation. This patient was a subject of a full investigation after entering the country from Wuhan on the 23rd of last month.

On the afternoon of the 2nd, around 12:00 PM, she checked out from a hotel located in Jung-gu, Seoul (President Hotel), then traveled by a friend's car to Lotte Department Store in Jung-gu, Seoul, where she stayed for about an hour until 1:19 PM. Afterwards, she moved to accommodation in Seodaemun-gu by the same friend's car, then took the car again to visit a large supermarket (E-Mart Mapo Gongdeok Branch) in Mapo-gu, Seoul around 2:20 PM before returning to the accommodation in Seodaemun-gu.

It was confirmed that she stayed continuously at the accommodation in Seodaemun-gu from the 3rd to the 5th, and was then transferred to the National Medical Center on the 6th. However, her movements during the more than ten days between her return and the onset of symptoms have not been specifically disclosed. It is also unknown how many people she contacted during that time. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters added, "Further investigation is underway regarding the places visited and contacts."

Jung Eun-kyung, director of the KCDC, said, "For confirmed cases, only movements from one day before symptom onset are disclosed," adding, "We believe that revealing earlier movements would only increase anxiety, so we only disclose information that helps prevent infectious diseases, and we ask for your understanding on this point."

According to the KCDC, the 23rd patient was found to have lived with a total of eight people in South Korea. Five others tested negative, two are currently undergoing testing, and detailed information such as onset date, infection route, and contacts is under further investigation.

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