A Woman in Her 70s Went to 'Gather Oysters' During Self-Quarantine... Taean-gun Files Charges for Violation of Infection Control Laws

[Asia Economy (Naepo) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] In Chungnam, an overseas entrant was reported for unauthorized departure from a self-quarantine location. This is the first reported case in the region.

Chungnam Province and Taean County announced on the 31st that they have reported A (70, female, Taean) to the police on charges of violating self-quarantine guidelines and unauthorized departure from her residence after entering the country from overseas.

According to the province, A entered the country from the United States on the 28th. Previously, the government had mandated that all entrants from the United States undergo a two-week self-quarantine starting from midnight on the 27th. A was included in the government's self-quarantine guidelines.

However, it was confirmed that A left her residence without permission on the 29th, citing shellfish harvesting as the reason. On that day, Taean County attempted the first phone call at 11:40 AM but could not reach A, and a second call at 12:40 PM also failed to connect.

Accordingly, Taean County visited A’s residence with the police and confirmed that A’s vehicle was not present, then began location tracking. During this process, they managed to contact A by phone, informed her of the unauthorized departure from self-quarantine, and demanded her immediate return, Taean County explained.

Currently, Taean County has applied a zero-tolerance policy and reported A to the police. Under the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act and the Quarantine Act, A may face imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won.

Jung Seok-wan, Director of the Disaster Safety Office of the province, stated, “If someone like A, who has left their residence without permission, tests positive for COVID-19, it not only makes epidemiological investigations difficult but also increases the risk of infecting others and negatively impacts the local economy.” He added, “The province will respond strongly by immediately reporting any self-quarantine violators to the relevant mayor or county head.”

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