"Must Earn Money" Police Arrest Warrant Issued for Fugitive Gwangju COVID-19 Patient

Discharged as Fully Recovered 17 Days After Positive Diagnosis
Discharged Gwangju Patient Immediately Summoned for Investigation

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A man in his 60s who was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) but refused isolation treatment and fled has been caught by the police.

On the 30th, the Gwangju Dongbu Police Station arrested A (65) on charges of violating the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act.

The police judged that A, who refused treatment and violated the quarantine obligation by having direct and indirect contact with many people, was a serious case, and applied for an arrest warrant from the court, which was issued.

A is suspected of fleeing for about 10 hours to avoid quarantine authorities after receiving a COVID-19 positive diagnosis call around 11 p.m. on the 6th of this month.

Daily laborer A moved to a construction site in Yeonggwang, Jeonnam, 55 km away from his residence, saying "I have to earn money."

He was unaware of the support system for special employment workers struggling due to the COVID-19 impact and did not properly recognize the seriousness of the infectious disease outbreak.

All interior company officials who had contact with A tested negative for COVID-19.

A, the 118th COVID-19 patient in the Gwangju area, was discharged on the 23rd of this month, 17 days after the positive diagnosis.

The police immediately summoned A, who was discharged after receiving a COVID-19 recovery notice, for investigation and decided to apply for an arrest warrant considering circumstances such as lying to evade authorities' tracking.

A police official stated, "We will conduct swift and strict investigations into illegal acts related to COVID-19 and inform citizens of the results to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases."

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