40 New COVID-19 Cases... Highest in 49 Days

5 Patients Under 19... 19 in Seoul

On the morning of the 27th, when confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) surged at the Coupang logistics center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, health authorities are conducting a specimen test on a citizen at a screening clinic set up in the outdoor parking lot of the Bucheon Sports Complex in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do.

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol and Jo Hyun-ui] On the 27th, the first day of the second school reopening, 40 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were identified in South Korea. It is the first time in 49 days since May 8 that the daily new cases exceeded 40. Among the new patients, 5 are under the age of 19. In some regions, remote classes were held instead of the originally scheduled in-person classes.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on that day, 19 new confirmed cases were reported in Seoul alone. All were infected within the local community. In Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, 10 and 6 cases were reported respectively, making a total of 37 community infections nationwide. The remaining 3 cases were imported from overseas. The cluster infection that started at the Itaewon clubs in Seoul has spread to the local community, increasing to 20-30 cases in mid-June, and the spread has continued steadily due to delayed blocking of transmission chains. In Gyeonggi Province, including the Coupang logistics center in Bucheon, transmissions presumed to be related to clubs occurred, and sporadic cases with unclear infection routes also appeared in Gyeonggi, Gyeongbuk, and Daegu.

In Daegu, a high school senior who had been attending school since last week tested positive, leading to the suspension of in-person classes at six schools in the Suseong District where students who had contact with the infected student attend. In Guri, Gyeonggi Province, a family of five was infected, including an elementary school student, resulting in the postponement of in-person classes at elementary, middle, and high schools as well as kindergartens in the Galmae district.

As new confirmed cases surged on the second day of school reopening, health and education authorities heightened vigilance by implementing various student dispersion measures such as maintaining in-person attendance at less than two-thirds capacity in high-risk area schools, alternating weekly or daily attendance schedules, two-shift systems, and combining remote classes, while also reviewing on-campus quarantine guidelines. In particular, two suspected cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome of unknown cause were reported in Seoul the previous day, prompting authorities to investigate their association with COVID-19, which heightened anxiety among schools and parents.

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