Bonghwa-gun Pureun Nursing Home COVID-19 Cases Surge to 49... Concerns Over Further Spread

Eom Tae-hang, the governor of Bonghwa County, is conducting a briefing related to the occurrence of COVID-19 patients at Pureun Nursing Home. (Photo by Bonghwa County).

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Young-wook] The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) at Pureun Nursing Home, an elderly medical welfare facility in Chunyang-myeon, Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk, surged to 49 in two days.

According to the county on the 6th, among the 112 residents and staff of Pureun Nursing Home (excluding 4 residents hospitalized at Bonghwa Haeseong Hospital), 34 tested positive for COVID-19 by 3 p.m. the previous day. Then, about 4 hours later, at around 7:50 p.m., 11 more residents were confirmed positive. Additionally, at 9:10 p.m. that day, 2 more cases were confirmed.

Following 2 confirmed cases on the 4th, the total number of confirmed cases at this nursing home surged to 49. The total confirmed cases in Bonghwa stand at 50. Many of the confirmed cases at Pureun Nursing Home are elderly and have all been transferred to hospitals.

Ms. A (83, female) and Ms. B (87, female), who were hospitalized in the second-floor ward of Bonghwa Haeseong Hospital and later tested positive, are also residents of the nursing home.

The county has quarantined about 90 people, including 41 patients hospitalized at Bonghwa Haeseong Hospital, doctors, nurses, and staff, and conducted COVID-19 tests. Bonghwa County announced that all tested negative. The county also conducted emergency disinfection of Bonghwa Haeseong Hospital and its surroundings and closed the second-floor ward.

The county has deployed an epidemiological investigation team to trace the infection routes of confirmed cases at the nursing home and Haeseong Hospital. Testing has been requested or is underway for 82 residents and staff of Pureun Nursing Home.

Um Tae-hang, the governor of Bonghwa County, said, "We are facing a very concerning situation," and added, "We are mobilizing all administrative resources to prevent the spread of COVID-19."

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