Gyeongnam Reports 8 COVID-19 Cases Including Nurse... Order for 'Non-Face-to-Face Worship' (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Ju Cheol-in] Eight new confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Gyeongnam.

Gyeongnam Province announced on the 22nd that a total of eight people tested positive, including participants of the Liberation Day rally and hospital medical staff.

A nurse in her 20s living in Changwon who works in the emergency room of Masan Medical Center also tested positive. The nurse experienced a headache on the 20th, underwent testing, and was confirmed positive, subsequently being admitted to Masan Medical Center.

It was identified that she had contact with 18 people, including seven family members and 11 people at Masan Medical Center. At the hospital, she had contact with seven medical staff, three employees, and one patient. Masan Medical Center closed the emergency room until the test results of these contacts were confirmed.

As a result of a full investigation at Happo Church in Changwon, a woman in her 50s was also confirmed positive. Gyeongnam Province conducted a full investigation after confirming that a man in his 40s, who tested positive on the 20th, had attended the church service.

The full investigation at Happo Church targeted 175 people. Among them, one tested positive, 171 tested negative, and the rest are either undergoing testing or scheduled for testing.

The woman was confirmed to have visited a mart, convenience store, and restaurants in Masanhappo-gu on the 18th and 19th. So far, four family members have been identified as contacts, but this number may increase during epidemiological investigations.

A woman in her 40s living in Geoje also tested positive after being tested at the screening clinic of Geoje Geobung Paik Hospital on the 21st. The route of infection is under investigation.

A woman in her 20s living in Geoje was confirmed positive as a family member of another confirmed case in the province. She worked at a store in Geoje on the 19th and 20th, and the total number of contacts, including family members, is four.

A woman in her 50s residing in Yangsan, who participated in the Liberation Day rally, was tested at the Yangsan City Health Center screening clinic on the 21st. She is currently asymptomatic, and her movements and contacts are under investigation.

A woman in her 70s from Yangsan, who attended the Gwanghwamun rally in the same car as the above woman, tested negative on the 19th. However, she was identified as a close contact of another confirmed case in Gyeongnam and was retested, resulting in a positive diagnosis on the same day. She is asymptomatic, and her movements and contacts are under investigation.

A woman in her 30s and a woman in her 60s living in Seoul were confirmed positive after developing symptoms following a visit to relatives' house in Changwon.

They visited their relatives' house on the 15th and subsequently traveled around Geoje, Namhae, Sacheon, and Tongyeong. Detailed movements and contacts are being identified. All of them were admitted to Masan Medical Center, and the province plans to identify additional movements and contacts through epidemiological investigations.

Additionally, viewing this weekend as a critical turning point, the province issued an administrative order to switch to 'non-face-to-face worship' for churches where pastors and elders who attended the Liberation Day rally belong or where confirmed cases have occurred. The order applies until the 30th and targets a total of 24 churches.

Failure to comply with the administrative order may result in criminal penalties under relevant laws, and claims for quarantine costs and legal actions will also be pursued.

Regarding the urgent administrative order to submit the list of Liberation Day rally participants, 13 out of 28 targeted individuals have submitted their lists.

As a result, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province has risen to 191. Among them, 163 have been discharged, and 28 are receiving inpatient treatment.

The total number of rally participants in the province is 1,292, among whom six tested positive, 1,071 tested negative, and 145 are still pending.

Governor Kim Kyung-soo said, “In line with government policy, social distancing will be raised to level 2 starting from the 23rd. We ask that you refrain from gatherings or outings as much as possible this weekend and conduct religious activities online.”

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