Spread from Richway to at least 8 locations... 44.6% Elderly Cases (Update)

On the 8th, the Richway office in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, related to a ping pong hall and a multi-level marketing senior health product company, is being restricted from entry due to ongoing secondary infections./Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] It has been revealed that the cluster infection originating from the elderly health product multi-level marketing company 'Richway' has spread to at least eight locations.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated at a regular briefing held on the 12th at the Osong Disease Control Headquarters in Chungbuk, "As of 12 PM today, the number of confirmed cases related to Richway increased by 23 from the previous day to 139."

The Richway-related infections have led to successive cluster outbreaks at the Chinese Korean church shelter, language institutes, call centers, and churches. Additional transmissions related to Richway are most frequent among family and other workplaces with 22 cases, followed by ▲Myeongseong Housing (20 cases) ▲NBS Partners (11 cases) ▲SJ Investment Call Center (10 cases) ▲Jesus Word Practice Church (9 cases) ▲Chinese Korean Church Shelter (8 cases) ▲Jesus Vision Church (8 cases) ▲Principle Language Institute (7 cases) ▲Church of God (4 cases).

Notably, those aged 65 and older account for 44.6% (62 people) of the total confirmed cases. This is interpreted as a high proportion of elderly patients due to the business nature of selling health products targeting the elderly. The elderly, along with pregnant women and chronic disease patients, are considered high-risk groups for COVID-19.

Head Jung said, "Looking at the recent trend in the metropolitan area, regional infections amplified at places like Richway are spreading to the elderly through churches and nursing facilities, leading to an increase in severe cases," adding, "Large workplaces have been shut down due to transmissions in various workplaces, causing disruptions to economic activities."

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