'Russian Sailor-Originated' Infection Fear Became Reality... First Case of Secondary Infection Occurs

An Acquaintance of Busan Patient No. 158, a Ship Repair Company Employee, Also Tested Positive
The Number of Confirmed Cases Including Repair Staff and Secondary Contacts Rises to 9

On the 24th, a Russian-flagged ship that completed repairs at Gamcheon Port in Busan is preparing to depart. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, from this day onward, all Russian-flagged vessels entering Busan Port will undergo "onboard quarantine," where quarantine officers board the ship for inspection.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The fear of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) originating from Russian sailors at Busan Port is becoming a reality.

Following the mass confirmation of COVID-19 cases among employees of a Busan ship repair company who boarded a Russian vessel docked at the North Port pier for repair work, a feared secondary local infection has also occurred.

According to Busan city health authorities on the 26th, an acquaintance classified as a close contact of patient number 158, an employee of the ship repair company, tested positive.

The total number of confirmed cases, including those who boarded the Russian vessel Petrwon (7733t, 94 crew members) where 32 Russian sailors were infected, as well as ship repair company employees or contacts confirmed through secondary infection, has increased to nine. Among them, eight are Korean and one is a foreigner.

The cumulative number of confirmed cases in the Busan area also rose to 165 as of the 26th.

The 32 confirmed Russian sailors are currently hospitalized and receiving treatment at Busan Medical Center, a designated infectious disease hospital, while the 62 sailors who tested negative are quarantined on board. Additional testing is underway for them.

Over the past month, a total of 78 sailors from eight Russian vessels that entered Busan Port have been infected, putting Busan Port in a state of emergency. In addition, the number of infections transmitted from Russian sailors has increased to nine.

Health authorities have identified that the ship repair company has more than 20 employees, and besides the nine confirmed cases and secondary contacts so far, they are tracking and monitoring the health status of others who have been in contact with them.

Although boarding quarantine was conducted when the vessel entered the port, it is known that there were no suspicious symptoms at the time, raising a red flag for quarantine at Busan Port.

As confirmed cases among Korean nationals originating from Russian vessels entering Busan Port continue to emerge, fears of a port-originated cluster infection are growing.

A Busan Port official said, “Not only at Gamcheon Port but also among ship repair company employees who had contact with Russian sailors confirmed positive at vessels docked at North Port, the number of confirmed cases is increasing, intensifying the fear of infection.”

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