Health Authorities Say "Lower Infection Risk on Public Transport"…No Plans to Adjust Commuting Hours (Update)

COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters Briefing

On the 11th, as confirmed COVID-19 cases increased due to a cluster infection at a call center on the 11th floor of the Korea Building in Sindorim-dong, citizens wearing masks are using the subway at Sindorim Station in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] On the 12th, the quarantine authorities stated that they are judging that adjusting commuting times to alleviate crowding during commuting hours in the metropolitan area is unnecessary. Amid the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), concerns about the possibility of infection while using public transportation have increased due to the large-scale cluster outbreak at a call center in Guro-gu, the largest in the metropolitan area, but it is judged that adjusting commuting times is not necessary.

At the briefing, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, said, "Close contact mainly occurs among family members, healthcare workers caring for patients, and colleagues in the same workplace, so the possibility of infection by encountering patients during commuting is considered quite low," and added, "Regarding public transportation such as subways and buses during commuting, (the risk of infection is not high), so it cannot be said to be dangerous."

According to the quarantine authorities, the number of confirmed cases related to the Guro-gu call center has been identified as 99 as of today. This is the largest cluster outbreak case in the metropolitan area. In particular, many of these patients reside not only in Guro-gu, where the building is located, but also in nearby metropolitan areas, and most of the patients are known to have used public transportation such as subways. Since office workers living in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, and other metropolitan areas spend a considerable amount of time together in confined spaces during commuting, the possibility of infecting an unspecified number of people cannot be ruled out.

According to information obtained from China by the quarantine authorities, in China, where the number of patients is highest, about 70% of secondary infections are understood to have occurred through transmission within families. This means the possibility of infection through simple contact is low. However, while the quarantine authorities can identify each patient’s commuting transportation and routes, they acknowledge that it is difficult to specifically track contact status during movement.

Deputy Director Kwon said, "Even when the Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters disclosed movement routes from the first patient, they mainly revealed areas where close contact occurred rather than those related to public transportation," and added, "Considering quarantine aspects, virus characteristics, and public transportation movement patterns, there is no need to be excessively anxious."

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