Suncheon City, Proactive Response with Social Distancing Level 1.5 Upgrade Due to COVID-19 Confirmed Cases

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Following the recent cluster infection at workplaces centered around Shinhan Bank, two additional confirmed cases with unknown infection sources were reported the day before yesterday. Heo Seok, Mayor of Suncheon, expressed in a briefing that he felt "very regretful and apologetic."

Suncheon’s 76th confirmed case began showing symptoms such as fever and headache from the 8th and tested positive after visiting the screening clinic at St. Carollo Hospital the previous morning.

The 77th confirmed case, classified as a contact of the 76th case, started experiencing headaches from the 6th and tested positive after specimen collection at the Suncheon Public Health Center screening clinic the previous afternoon.

Both confirmed cases reside in Yeonhyang-dong and work in the nearby city of Gwangyang.

In particular, the 77th confirmed case is a member of the Tiger Fitness Club in Jorye-dong, which has about 1,600 registered members, raising concerns for health authorities due to the high likelihood of contact with numerous unspecified individuals.

Moreover, due to the extensive movement paths of the 77th confirmed case, Suncheon City views the situation as extremely serious, with the potential to lead to a more severe local infection than the first crisis last summer.

The main movement paths of the 77th confirmed case include visiting Tiger Fitness in Jorye-dong from around 6:30 PM to 9:45 PM on the 5th.

On the 7th, the case visited Kumho Tire in Pungdeok-dong from about 9:50 AM to 10:00 AM, Sangsa Golf Practice Range from about 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, Kumho Tire again around 1:00 PM, Tiger Fitness in Jorye-dong from about 3:50 PM to 7:30 PM, and the restaurant Soso Han Saeng-gak in Jorye-dong from about 8:30 PM to 9:36 PM.

On the 8th, the case visited Kao in Jorye-dong from about 1:14 PM to 2:00 PM and Wangji Sky Screen Golf Course in Wangji-dong from about 8:20 PM to 11:05 PM.

The city plans to notify the public via the city website and emergency text messages as soon as additional movement paths of the 77th confirmed case are identified, urging citizens who overlapped in these locations to get tested immediately at screening clinics.

Meanwhile, Suncheon City reported that despite showing symptoms such as headaches, the 77th confirmed case did not follow quarantine rules such as wearing a mask and used multi-use facilities. The Suncheon City health authorities are actively considering criminal charges and claims for damages.

Mayor Heo Seok stated, "With the number of confirmed cases rising again in our city, we are facing a critical situation that could lead to a second crisis. Although it is very regrettable, the most urgent task now is to prevent local spread," expressing strong determination to control the current situation.

Suncheon City will begin reviewing the possibility of raising social distancing to level 1.5 starting today.

An emergency public-private joint countermeasure committee meeting will be held promptly this afternoon for discussion.

Through the public-private joint countermeasure committee meeting, discussions and agreements will be made regarding the raising of social distancing to level 1.5, including decisions on whether schools will hold in-person classes.

Mayor Heo Seok appealed, "Just as we overcame the COVID-19 crisis last summer with the participation and cooperation of the dignified citizens of Suncheon, I ask each citizen to actively cooperate to block the spread of infectious diseases during this crisis as well."

He emphasized mask-wearing, saying, "Proper mask-wearing is the most certain vaccine to protect myself and my family’s health from COVID-19," and requested, "Please stay home as much as possible and minimize movement to prevent any further spread."

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