Gwangju and Jeonnam, COVID-19 Cases Increase: "No Safe Zone"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Amid the nationwide trend of the second wave of COVID-19, confirmed cases are continuously increasing even in Gwangju and Jeonnam, which had been relatively perceived as safe zones from COVID-19.

On the 22nd, Gwangju Metropolitan City announced that 5 additional confirmed cases were reported. They were classified as Gwangju cases 263 to 267. Following 11 cases the previous day, a total of 16 new confirmed cases have occurred over two days, heightening anxiety in the local community.

Confirmed cases are also continuing in Jeonnam.

According to Jeonnam Province, from last night to this morning, a total of 7 people tested positive for COVID-19: 3 in Hwasun, and 1 each in Jindo, Yeonggwang, Gokseong, and Suncheon.

In Hwasun, a man in his 60s with an unknown infection route (Jeonnam case 59) named Mr. A, his wife (Jeonnam case 60), and a female neighbor in her 70s (Jeonnam case 64) were confirmed positive for COVID-19.

In Yeonggwang, a man in his 60s (Jeonnam case 61) who had contact with Jeonnam case 46 tested positive.

In Jindo, a woman in her 70s (Jeonnam case 62), the sister of Jeonnam case 44, was confirmed positive while asymptomatic during self-quarantine.

In Suncheon, a woman in her 50s (Jeonnam case 63) who had contact with Jeonnam case 50, a patient who had visited a door-to-door sales company in Seoul, tested positive. In Gokseong, a woman in her 30s (Jeonnam case 65), who was a contact of Jeonnam case 47, a flood disaster victim, was confirmed positive.

In response to the increasing number of confirmed cases in the region, the movements of the Gwangju and Jeonnam metropolitan governments are expected to accelerate.

Gwangju Metropolitan City will hold an emergency 'COVID-19 Public-Private Joint Countermeasures Committee' meeting today and announce preemptive response measures such as raising social distancing to level 2.

Jeonnam Province announced through Governor Kim Young-rok's emergency statement yesterday that “from the 22nd, social distancing will be raised to level 2 for two weeks.”

The quarantine authorities judged this weekend as a critical turning point for the spread of COVID-19 and urged “refraining from going out” and “proper mask-wearing.”

The authorities stated that if the spread continues after the weekend, raising social distancing to level 3 will need to be considered.

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