Health Authorities: "It's Hard to Consider Golf Itself as a Transmission Link... There Were Close Contacts Such as Meals"

On the 17th of last month, staff at a screening clinic in Gyeonggi-do are conducting specimen tests [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Hee-eun Park] Two individuals who participated in a golf round with a confirmed COVID-19 case related to an apartment in Jangam-dong, Uijeongbu (Uijeongbu case number 50) tested positive for COVID-19 on the 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Accordingly, health authorities presumed that close contact occurred after the golf game.

Earlier, local governments in the Gyeonggi area announced that a 68-year-old man living in Jeongja-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam (Seongnam case number 176) tested positive on the 2nd, and a man in his 60s living in Ohak-dong, Yeoju (Yeoju case number 1) tested positive on the 3rd.

They participated in a golf round on the 25th of last month at a golf course in Gwangju City together with the confirmed case related to the Jangam-dong apartment in Uijeongbu (Uijeongbu case number 50). In addition to playing golf, they also had a meal together. Besides these individuals, 11 colleagues who played golf with the Uijeongbu case number 50 patient are currently under self-quarantine.

This is the first COVID-19 case reported at a golf course. However, health authorities stated on the 4th, "It is difficult to conclude that golf itself was the source of transmission."

Gwak Jin, head of the Patient Management Team at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, explained at the regular briefing of the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the same day, "Among those who played golf together, two additional cases were confirmed, but they did not only play golf together."

He added, "After golf, they traveled together and also had meals together," and "Additional confirmed cases have been identified in the group that engaged in activities where close contact could have occurred."

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