Seoul Adds 28 New COVID-19 Cases... 114 Contacts of Female Child at Asan Hospital Undergo Complete Testing

On the 1st, when the mandatory 2-week self-quarantine for all incoming travelers from abroad began, arrivals at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport lined up to board the special airport bus for overseas arrivals heading to KTX Gwangmyeong Station. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 1st that 28 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) were added in one day, including 16 overseas arrivals and 8 related to Manmin Central Church in Guro-gu.

Among them was a 9-year-old female elementary school student (from Yangju, Gyeonggi Province) who was confirmed positive while hospitalized at Seoul Asan Medical Center the previous afternoon.

Regarding the residences of the new confirmed cases, Gwanak-gu had the highest number with 6 cases, followed by Gangnam-gu with 3, Dongjak, Mapo, Songpa, and Jongno-gu with 2 each, and Gangdong, Gwangjin, Guro, Seocho, Yangcheon, Yeongdeungpo, Yongsan, and Jung-gu with 1 each.

Three cases tested in Songpa-gu (a girl from Yangju, Gyeonggi Province), Jung-gu (a citizen from Suwon, Gyeonggi Province), and Guro-gu (a citizen from Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province) were also counted as 'Seoul cases' according to their reported places of occurrence.

Among the 16 newly infected patients who contracted the virus through overseas contact, 8 returned from the United States, 4 from the United Kingdom, and 2 from Canada.

Accordingly, as of 10 a.m. on the 1st, the cumulative number of confirmed cases occurring in Seoul, as tallied by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, reached 478.

The city plans to guide all domestic and foreign nationals entering from any country to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine after arrival. If entrants do not have a suitable residence for self-quarantine, Seoul will provide quarantine facilities prepared by the city.

Na Baek-ju, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Citizen Health Bureau, stated, "From the 5th, overseas arrivals who do not comply with quarantine regulations may face penalties under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, including imprisonment of up to one year or fines up to 10 million won." He added, "Foreigners may be subject to deportation or entry bans under the Immigration Control Act, so it is essential to strictly adhere to quarantine rules."

Regarding future measures to block infections from overseas, he explained, "To cut the chain of community infections caused by overseas arrivals, the government plans to strengthen measures and conduct comprehensive testing not only for Europe but for all overseas entrants."

Meanwhile, a total of 114 people who had contact with the 9-year-old girl confirmed positive while receiving inpatient treatment at Seoul Asan Medical Center have been identified. The hospital and quarantine authorities are conducting comprehensive testing while all contacts remain under self-quarantine.

Director Na said, "We plan to track the movements of the hospital and community and conduct additional closed-circuit television (CCTV) investigations. We will continue monitoring by conducting COVID-19 tests on contacts," he said.

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