[Comprehensive] First COVID-19 Case Confirmed in Wando Sparks 'High Alert'

Elderly Couple in Their 80s from Seoul Meets Dongdaemun-gu Patient No. 107, Son and Acquaintances

County Governor Shin Woo-cheol Urges Residents to Cooperate to Prevent Local Infection Spread

Shin Woo-cheol, Wando County Governor, is issuing an emergency statement following the first confirmed case of COVID-19. (Photo by Wando County)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil] On the 27th, the first COVID-19 confirmed cases were reported in Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, where efforts had been made to protect the clean area.

Shin Woo-cheol, the mayor of Wando-gun, announced in an emergency statement regarding the occurrence of COVID-19 cases that an elderly couple in their 80s residing in Cheongsan-do, Wando-gun, was confirmed positive around 8 p.m. on the 27th.

The couple in their 80s is believed to have been infected after visiting their daughter’s home in Seoul on the 17th for a hospital appointment.

On the 19th, they met two acquaintances of their daughter and talked for about two hours. One of the daughter’s acquaintances was confirmed positive for COVID-19 on the 26th, leading to the presumption that the elderly couple was also infected.

After returning home to Cheongsan-myeon on the 21st, the couple showed symptoms such as sore throat, fever, and cough starting from the 24th.

The county immediately placed the symptomatic couple under self-quarantine, and the couple, who tested positive on the 27th, will be transferred to a hospital designated by Jeollanam-do.

On the morning of the 21st at 8:10 a.m., the elderly couple took an express bus bound for Wando from Seoul Central City Terminal, arrived at Wando Public Bus Terminal, took a taxi to Wando Passenger Terminal, and then took the Cheongsan-do ferry at 2:30 p.m. to return home.

Wando-gun has assigned dedicated public officials to manage close contacts of the elderly couple and plans to collect specimens from all residents who had contact with the confirmed cases for testing.

The Wando-gun Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will send text messages to all residents about the confirmed cases and post the movement routes on the official website.

Mayor Shin Woo-cheol said in the statement, “We regret to inform you of the confirmed cases and will do our utmost to prevent additional cases in the region.”

The mayor appealed to the residents to “make mask-wearing and handwashing a daily habit, refrain from visiting crowded facilities and gatherings, avoid visiting other regions where confirmed cases are rapidly increasing, and replace religious activities with non-face-to-face methods.”

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