"Are They Really Delivered by Courier?" Anxiety Grows Over Confirmed Cases at Coupang and Market Kurly

Market Kurly Logistics Center COVID-19 Cases Confirmed... E-commerce Industry on Alert
Consumers Anxious About Delivery and Parcel Services

Following the confirmation of a COVID-19 case at Coupang's Bucheon logistics center on the 27th, a new case was also identified at Market Kurly, raising alarms in the e-commerce industry.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Following the COVID-19 confirmed cases at Coupang's Bucheon logistics center, a confirmed case has also emerged at Market Kurly's logistics center on the 27th, triggering an alert in the e-commerce industry. Concerns about consumer infections through delivery and courier services are also growing.

After the first COVID-19 infection case was reported at Coupang's Bucheon logistics center on the 23rd, another confirmed case has been identified at Market Kurly, another e-commerce company.

Market Kurly's operator, Kurly, announced that a day laborer, Mr. A, who worked at the ambient temperature Center 1 logistics center in Jangji-dong, Seoul, on the 24th, was confirmed positive for COVID-19 by health authorities on the 27th.

It is presumed that Mr. A was infected while visiting Daejeon City with an acquaintance who was confirmed positive on the 23rd. He worked at Kurly's ambient temperature Center 1 for one day on the 24th, underwent testing at Songpa-gu Public Health Center on the 25th, and received confirmation of infection that morning.

Kurly stated, "We have made our best efforts according to health authorities' quarantine guidelines, including the introduction of thermal cameras and wearing masks and gloves," adding, "We will fully close the ambient temperature Center 1 until further instructions from Songpa District Office and health authorities and will proceed with additional measures in consultation with health authorities."

The number of confirmed cases related to the Bucheon logistics center has rapidly increased, reaching 26 as of 9 a.m. on the 27th. Testing is underway for all logistics center employees, numbering around 3,600, and health authorities have set up a temporary screening clinic at Bucheon Sports Complex, anticipating further increases in confirmed cases.

As confirmed cases continue to emerge at e-commerce companies, including the country's largest logistics center, citizens are expressing anxiety. With the increase in contactless delivery services such as courier deliveries due to COVID-19, concerns have been raised about the possibility of infection through delivered packages.

A surge of confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the Coupang logistics center in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do./Photo by Yonhap News

Netizens have expressed their anxiety with comments such as, "If logistics center quarantine is being strengthened, why are confirmed cases still increasing?", "I ordered something from Coupang a few days ago and received it, but I feel very uneasy," and "I used to frequently use it to avoid contact shopping, but now even that cannot be trusted."

On online communities, methods to check which logistics center shipped purchased products and ways to disinfect delivery items outside the front door are also being shared.

Health authorities have stated that the possibility of infectious disease transmission through delivered goods is low.

At a briefing on the 26th, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, explained, "There have been no reported cases worldwide of COVID-19 transmission through medium- to long-distance delivered goods," adding, "Unless confirmed cases in logistics warehouses were continuously releasing the virus without wearing gloves or completely removing masks, the likelihood of virus transmission when customers receive packages is considered very low."

On the 27th, Bucheon Mayor Jang Deok-cheon posted on his Facebook, "The situation at Coupang's Bucheon logistics center is not easy," and announced, "Bucheon City will return to a social distancing system."

Meanwhile, the government had implemented social distancing from March 22 to May 5 due to the spread of COVID-19, then switched to a 'distancing in daily life' system from the 6th.

With Bucheon City reverting to the social distancing system, in-person classes for all grades except for third-year high school students have been postponed. The city plans to decide the timing for in-person classes for kindergarten, first and second grades of elementary school, third-year middle school, second-year high school, and special school students scheduled for the 27th later, reflecting the trend of confirmed cases.

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