"COVID-19 Cases Continue to Emerge" Total of 116 COVID-19 Confirmed Cases in Gwangju Region

On the afternoon of the 6th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, held a press conference on COVID-19 response at the city hall briefing room, announcing measures to strengthen management of self-quarantined individuals and methods for rapid confirmation of contact routes. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] In the Gwangju area, 7 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed on the 5th, and as of 3 PM on the 6th, one member of the Ilgok Jungang Church congregation tested positive while in self-quarantine, bringing the total cumulative confirmed cases to 116.

Following the confirmation of one elementary school student on the 4th, two preschool children were diagnosed with COVID-19 on the afternoon of the 5th due to family transmission.

Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, held a COVID-19 briefing that afternoon.

From that day, the briefing was conducted online (via Facebook and Hello Gwangju Live) in accordance with social distancing measures to prevent COVID-19 infection.

Regarding the confirmed cases among preschool children (students of Dasom Daycare Center in Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City), the two children (cases 113 and 114) are siblings and were infected through their maternal grandmother (case 110), who was confirmed positive the previous day.

Dasom Daycare Center was immediately temporarily closed yesterday afternoon, and disinfection was completed.

The city is conducting a full investigation of all 20 daycare teachers (including 2 trainee teachers) and 53 enrolled children.

In particular, to ensure safer and faster testing, a mobile screening clinic (Drive-thru) was set up at Dong-gu Office at 9 AM that day, where 192 specimens were collected and sent for testing.

In relation to this, Gwangju City has ordered a two-week closure starting the previous day, and kindergartens will switch to remote classes from the 8th to the 17th.

Regarding the confirmed case at Ildong Elementary School, all 40 individuals tested?including students in the affected class, teachers, and students participating in after-school classes?were confirmed negative.

Due to the rapid increase in confirmed cases, the city is also strengthening management of those in self-quarantine.

As there have been cases of individuals testing positive while in self-quarantine, the need to reinforce quarantine management has grown. The city has expanded the deployment of dedicated public officials and management staff by district (totaling 1,366 people), and in Buk-gu, where there are many confirmed cases, a self-quarantine management center has been established to closely monitor those in quarantine.

Public opinion has criticized the delay in disclosing the movement routes of confirmed cases, so Mayor Lee Yong-seop has decided to personally oversee this matter.

Mayor Lee said, “With 83 new confirmed cases occurring in just 10 days, the district epidemiological investigation teams have faced difficulties in tracking movement routes. Since the routes were announced based on the oral statements of confirmed cases, there was a risk of further harm due to errors. Therefore, to provide accurate information, we have been using scientific methods such as CCTV, credit card records, and GPS, which caused delays in disclosure. We have established hotlines with the five district heads and reinforced epidemiological investigation personnel including the police to provide information quickly and accurately.”

Additionally, to minimize public confusion regarding confirmed cases, the city will disclose the names of apartment complexes if the confirmed individuals reside in multi-unit housing.

On this day, the city requested a police investigation into confirmed case number 37 in Gwangju for refusal, obstruction, and concealment of facts during the epidemiological investigation, pursuant to Article 18 of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act.

Mayor Lee emphasized, “If confirmed cases actively cooperate, we will thoroughly protect personal information and maintain confidentiality while providing maximum support. However, if they refuse or obstruct epidemiological investigations or provide false statements, we will take strong measures such as criminal prosecution under the Infectious Disease Control Act, charging for their treatment costs, and exercising claims for damages.”

The mayor added, “The best vaccine is the citizens’ vigilance and sense of crisis, and the greatest enemy is complacency. Please maintain a sense of tension that everyone you meet could be a source of infection and strictly follow the quarantine guidelines.”

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