Guro-gu Call Center Becomes 'Metropolitan Area Quarantine Black Hole'... 36 Confirmed Cases Emerge in Incheon, Dongjak, and Others

Ace Insurance Call Center Where a Female COVID-19 Patient in Her 50s Worked
36 Related Cases Including Employees, Trainees, and Family Members Confirmed
In 10 Local Governments Including Guro, Dongjak in Seoul, Incheon, and Anyang

Call Center Located at the Intersection of Seoul Subway Lines 1 and 2
Many Commuters from Incheon and Gyeonggi-do
Possibility of Not Wearing Masks Due to Call Center Work Characteristics

On the morning of the 10th, building entrants lined up at the screening clinic installed outside the first floor of the Korea Building in Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] It has been reported that 36 people have tested positive for COVID-19 at a call center of an insurance company in Guro-gu, Seoul. This is the largest cluster infection case reported in Seoul.

As of 9 a.m. on the 10th, combining the confirmed cases related to the Guro-gu call center announced by local governments including Guro-gu Office, Dongjak-gu Office, Incheon City, and Anyang in Gyeonggi Province, the total number of confirmed cases has reached 36.

The day before, Guro-gu quarantined all employees of the ACE Insurance call center (11th floor) located in the Korea Building in Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, where a woman in her 50s living in Nowon-gu was confirmed positive. The call center office reportedly has a total of 207 people, including 148 call center employees and 59 trainees.

Guro-gu Public Health Center urgently conducted COVID-19 diagnostic tests on 54 people the previous morning, resulting in 13 positive cases (7 residing in Guro-gu). In addition, a large number of call center employees and trainees have been confirmed positive through screening clinics in various regions. Some family members have also tested positive.

By region, there were 7 cases in Guro-gu, Seoul; 2 each in Yangcheon, Eunpyeong, Geumcheon, and Dongjak districts; and 1 in Nowon-gu. Outside Seoul, infections have surged with 13 cases in Incheon City, 4 in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, 2 in Gwangmyeong, and 1 in Gimpo. Most of them are employees who accessed the ACE Insurance call center. In Eunpyeong-gu, the spouse of a confirmed call center employee also tested positive.

Although the call center is located in Guro-gu, Seoul, many infections occurred among residents outside Seoul. This is likely because the Korea Building is situated between Guro Station and Sindorim Station, where Seoul Subway Lines 1 and 2 connect, making commuting easy for residents of Incheon and Gyeonggi Province. Additionally, due to the nature of the call center, employees may not have worn masks to clearly enunciate, possibly leading to inadequate personal hygiene. A Guro-gu official stated, "There is a possibility of droplet infection due to the nature of the call center," and added, "We are conducting an epidemiological investigation to determine more accurate details."

There are also concerns about infections within the building. The building houses multi-use facilities such as a wedding hall and a postpartum care center.

On the previous day, Guro-gu Office announced on its homepage, "The workplace of the confirmed patient (residing in Nowon-gu) who tested positive for COVID-19 on the 8th is a call center located on the 11th floor of the Korea Building in Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu." It added, "We have implemented self-quarantine measures and office closure for a total of 207 people, including 148 call center employees and 59 trainees. Urgent COVID-19 diagnostic tests were conducted on 54 people through the Guro-gu Public Health Center this morning, resulting in 13 positive cases (7 residing in Guro-gu)."

Guro-gu stated, "We plan to complete testing for the remaining 153 people at Guro-gu and their local screening clinics by tomorrow (the 10th)." It also said, "On the evening of the 9th, we conducted disinfection and sterilization of the entire Korea Building and issued a full closure order for office spaces from the 1st to the 12th floor of the building." It added, "We will conduct specimen tests for visiting residents starting this morning."

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