35 Tested Including Close Contacts at Government Seoul Office Annex After COVID-19 Case Confirmed

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] In the Seoul Gwanghwamun Government Seoul Office Annex, where two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have occurred, specimen tests are being conducted on 35 people who had close contact with the confirmed cases. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has placed employees suspected of contact with the confirmed cases under self-quarantine and instructed employees working on the same floor as the confirmed cases to switch to remote work on the 24th.

On the 23rd, Lee Jae-young, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, chaired an emergency inspection meeting at the Seoul Office and urged the head of the Government Office Management Headquarters, "In the rapidly spreading trend of COVID-19, take preemptive measures that may seem excessive, and establish a close cooperation system with tenant organizations such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to respond closely."

The Government Office Management Headquarters, following the confirmation on the 22nd that two annex employees?a Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff member and a cleaning service worker?tested positive for COVID-19, conducted emergency disinfection on the 6th, 11th, and 15th floors of the annex where they worked. On the 23rd, a second disinfection was carried out throughout the main building and annex of the office.

Additionally, the 13 tenant organizations in the Seoul Office, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were requested to refrain from unnecessary visits to the office and inter-floor movement over the weekend. They were also repeatedly urged to strictly wear masks indoors and outdoors, avoid unnecessary meetings, and expand the implementation of remote work.

Health authorities, including Jongno Public Health Center, are verifying the movement paths of the confirmed employees through CCTV inside the office. Based on epidemiological investigations, those classified as close contacts are being immediately placed under self-quarantine and subjected to specimen testing. A total of 35 people, including 15 Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees and 2 cleaning service workers who had close contact, are scheduled for specimen testing. So far, no additional confirmed cases have been reported.

Separately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has prioritized placing about 30 people from the Operations Support Office, suspected of contact with the confirmed cases, under self-quarantine and instructed them to remain at home until further notice. Employees working on the same floor as the confirmed cases have also been directed to work remotely on the 24th.

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