Widespread Cluster Infections Trigger 'Emergency' Across Seoul

On the 8th, Seoul citizens are waiting in line to get tested in front of the screening clinic at Seoul Medical Center in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, as the city began free proactive COVID-19 testing for the general public to prevent community cluster infections caused by asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] As cluster infections of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread across Seoul, health authorities have gone on high alert.

Seoul city announced on the 13th at midnight that out of the cumulative 1,101 confirmed cases in Seoul, 408 patients are currently hospitalized and receiving treatment, classified as 'in isolation.'

The total number of patients in isolation nationwide is 1,083, with Seoul accounting for 37.7% of them.

Although the total confirmed cases in Seoul (1,101) represent 9.1% of the nationwide total (12,051), the number of patients currently in isolation, indicating 'ongoing cases,' approaches 40% of the national figure, clearly showing the trend of COVID-19 chain infections spreading in Seoul.

The number of patients in isolation in Seoul had decreased after reaching 405 on April 8 but has gradually increased again since the 7th of last month, reaching a record high on this day.

This surge is due to a rapid increase in confirmed cases following cluster infections across Seoul, including those linked to the recent health product door-to-door sales company Richway.

The number of new confirmed cases in Seoul over six days from the 7th of this month were 17→17→14→19→25→29, showing a rapid increase over the last three days.

On this day, Yeongdeungpo-gu in Seoul announced that the 49th and 50th patients in the district were newly added.

The 50th patient, a woman in her 20s residing in Yangpyeong 2-dong, had indigestion symptoms since the 3rd and was tested at Gangnam Severance Hospital on the 12th, receiving a positive diagnosis the same day.

It was confirmed that this woman visited a clinic near Dangsan Station between 2:00 PM and 4:05 PM on the 11th. She was wearing a mask.

The district is investigating her detailed movement and contacts.

The 49th patient in Yeongdeungpo is a man in his 50s living in Dangsan 2-dong and is a family member of the previously confirmed 35th (23-year-old woman) and 37th (49-year-old woman) patients in Yeongdeungpo. The 35th patient was a student at Yeon Ann News Class, an announcer academy in Seodaemun-gu where a cluster infection occurred at the end of last month.

The 49th patient had been in self-quarantine since the 30th of last month and began experiencing symptoms such as fatigue from the 8th of this month. He was tested at a public health center on the 12th and confirmed positive on the 13th.

On the same day, Gangseo-gu in Seoul announced the occurrence of the 70th, 71st, and 72nd patients in the district. The 70th patient in Gangseo-gu is a woman in her 30s living in Gayang 1-dong who worked at a dental clinic in the 'TWO IFC' building in Yeouido with the 47th patient in Yeongdeungpo-gu. She had been in self-quarantine after the 47th patient (a woman in her 30s from Yangpyeong 2-dong) was confirmed positive and was tested on the 12th, receiving a positive result at 8 PM that day.

She commuted using Subway Line 9 from Yangcheon Hyanggyo Station to Yeouido Station on the 10th and 11th.

The 71st patient in Gangseo is a woman in her 60s living in Yeomchang-dong and is a family member of the previously confirmed 69th patient in Gangseo. She had been self-quarantining at home since the 8th, was tested on the 12th, and confirmed positive on the morning of the 13th.

The 72nd patient in Gangseo is a man in his 30s living in Gonghang-dong and is also a family member of the previously confirmed 45th patient in Gangseo. He had been in self-quarantine since the 30th of last month, was tested on the 12th, and confirmed positive on the morning of the 13th.

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