21 New COVID-19 Cases in Seoul... Total Confirmed Cases Reach 1,166

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] As of 6 p.m. on the 17th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that the cumulative number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) occurring in Seoul was 1,166. This is an increase of 21 cases compared to the counts by the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) and Seoul city as of midnight that day.

Among the 21 newly identified confirmed cases, by infection route, 11 were related to a nursing facility in Dobong-gu (cumulative total in Seoul: 31), 2 were related to the Pioneer Church in the metropolitan area (cumulative total in Seoul: 36), 1 was from the Richway cluster infection (cumulative total in Seoul: 96), 1 was a contact of a confirmed case from another city or province (cumulative total in Seoul: 33), and 1 was from overseas contact (cumulative total in Seoul: 291). There were 5 cases (cumulative total in Seoul: 90) for which the infection route was not yet identified and are under investigation by health authorities.

Following the announcement that an 82-year-old male confirmed case related to the nursing facility in Dobong-gu (Dobong case number 24) died in the morning, the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths in Seoul increased to 6. This patient, residing in Dobong 1-dong, tested positive on the 11th, the day after his wife (Dobong case number 23) was confirmed positive, and had been receiving treatment at Seonam Hospital.

Among Seoul's autonomous districts, Dobong-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Gwanak-gu, Gangseo-gu, and Gangnam-gu announced new confirmed cases on this day. Among contacts related to the nursing facility Seongsim Daycare Center in Dobong-gu, 11 individuals who initially tested negative in the first round of COVID-19 testing were confirmed positive in additional tests conducted on the morning of the 17th. Of these, 8 are facility users and 3 are family members of previously confirmed cases. Dobong-gu plans to conduct comprehensive testing of families of 15 users who tested negative and a second round of testing for 21 staff members who initially tested negative to minimize the spread of the cluster infection related to Seongsim Daycare Center.

In Yeongdeungpo-gu, a woman in her 30s living in Singil 1-dong (Yeongdeungpo case number 52), a woman in her 40s living in Dorim-dong (Yeongdeungpo case number 53), and a man in his 20s living in Singil 3-dong (Yeongdeungpo case number 54) were tested on the 16th and confirmed positive on the morning of the 17th. The Yeongdeungpo case number 52 patient experienced anosmia on the 14th and was tested at Seongae Hospital on the 16th. Yeongdeungpo-gu instructed coworkers on the same floor of the company located in Yeoui-dong, where this patient worked until the 15th, to undergo COVID-19 testing. The Yeongdeungpo case number 53 patient is a family member of Yeongdeungpo cases 39 and 40, had been in self-quarantine since the 1st of this month, was asymptomatic, but tested positive at Seongae Hospital's screening clinic on the 16th. The Yeongdeungpo case number 54 patient had symptoms such as chills starting on the 14th. Health authorities are investigating this patient's movements, including the company in Dorim-dong where he worked on the 16th, and contacts such as coworkers.

Gwanak-gu reported confirmed cases including a 58-year-old man living in Jowon-dong (Gwanak case number 79), a 62-year-old woman (Gwanak case number 81), and a 44-year-old man residing in Inheon-dong who entered from Kazakhstan on the 15th (Gwanak case number 80). Among them, case number 81 is a contact of case number 79.

In Gangseo-gu, an man in his 80s who was about to be released from self-quarantine tested positive on the 17th and was confirmed as Gangseo case number 73. This patient had been in self-quarantine since the 3rd as a contact of a previously confirmed case (Gangseo case number 51) related to Seongjin Church in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon.

A 66-year-old woman living in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu (Gangnam case number 80) is an employee of Sarang-ui Dosirak, a Korean buffet in Yeoksam-dong used by employees of Myeongseong Housing who experienced workplace infections derived from the Richway cluster infection. She felt a sore throat on the 13th, was tested at Seocho-gu Public Health Center on the 16th, and was confirmed positive the next day. After the restaurant owner (Gangnam case number 79) tested positive on the 16th, Gangnam-gu closed the establishment and is conducting a detailed epidemiological investigation to identify additional contacts. Gangnam-gu urged anyone who visited this place between the 11th and 13th of this month to visit Gangnam Public Health Center for COVID-19 testing without fail.

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