A man in his 20s under 'self-quarantine' reported for going out to buy cigarettes

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] A man in his 20s who repeatedly left his home without permission during self-quarantine has been reported to the authorities.

Namdong-gu, Incheon announced on the 2nd that it reported A (28), a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 patient, to the police for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

A was under self-quarantine from the 11th to the 21st of last month as a contact of a confirmed patient in Bupyeong-gu. However, he is known to have left his home without permission three times, including going outside to buy cigarettes and driving his own vehicle.

His unauthorized departures were recorded in the 'Self-Quarantine Application' and reported to officials at Namdong-gu Office. The district stated that A did not comply even after receiving warnings from officials who confirmed that he had left his home.

A Namdong-gu official said, "Self-quarantine measures are not recommendations but legally mandatory actions," and added, "If self-quarantine rules are violated, we will apply a zero-tolerance policy and take strong measures such as reporting to the police."

Meanwhile, a total of 52 cases related to self-quarantine violations amid COVID-19 are currently undergoing judicial procedures. Among these, 6 cases have been prosecuted, while the remaining 46 are in pre-prosecution stages.

Kim Kang-lip, the 1st General Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, stated at a regular briefing held at the Government Sejong Complex on the same day, "As of now, 52 cases of self-quarantine violations have been identified and are under judicial process. Six cases have been prosecuted, and the remaining 46 are in pre-prosecution stages. These are matters that have been reported or requested for investigation."

As of 6 p.m. on the 1st, the total number of people under self-quarantine was 23,768. From the 5th, penalties for violating self-quarantine will be strengthened under the revised Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, increasing from a fine of up to 3 million won to imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won.

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