COVID-19 Self-Quarantine Violation: 20s Individual in Uijeongbu Arrested (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] A man in his 20s who unlawfully left his residence during self-quarantine related to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, was arrested on the 18th. This is the second case nationwide following the arrest of a man in his 60s in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 14th for the same reason.

A (27) was caught two days after leaving his home and quarantined in a temporary shelter, but he again left without permission and was arrested within an hour.

The warrant judge at the Uijeongbu District Court issued an arrest warrant for A, who is charged with violating the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act, stating there is a "risk of flight."

A was hospitalized on the 8th floor ward of Catholic University Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, received treatment for pancreatitis, and was discharged on the 2nd, then classified as a self-quarantine subject. A cluster COVID-19 infection occurred on the 8th floor of this hospital.

Nevertheless, A unlawfully left his home in Howon-dong on the 14th, two days before his quarantine was to be lifted, and went missing. On the 16th, his briefly activated mobile phone signal was detected by the police in front of a convenience store in Uijeongbu-dong, leading to his capture. Afterwards, A was quarantined in a temporary shelter in Yangju City and underwent a COVID-19 test, but he again left without permission and was caught in a nearby mountain within about an hour.

The COVID-19 test result was negative.

The police, following a strict response policy against self-quarantine violations, investigated A and applied for an arrest warrant on the 17th, judging that there was a high possibility of flight if investigated without detention.

According to the investigation, A was confirmed to have wandered along the Jungnangcheon riverside, where many residents exercise and take walks, after leaving his home. The police confirmed that he did not visit any multi-use facilities.

A reportedly stated to the police that he felt frustrated and stressed due to the long self-quarantine period.

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