Hadong-gun, Middle School Related Ripple Effect... 21 Confirmed Cases in Gyeongnam in One Day

Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo and Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education Park Jong-hoon are holding a joint briefing.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jucheol In] After a middle school student and a teacher tested positive in Hadong, Gyeongnam, where it had been quiet until now, local infections are spreading rapidly.

On the 18th, Gyeongnam Province announced in a briefing on the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) that seven additional middle school students (Gyeongnam cases 411 to 417) tested positive in the afternoon. These middle school students attend the same school as case 396, who was confirmed positive the day before.

A screening clinic was set up at the middle school the day before, and so far, 167 students and staff have been tested. To date, 13 have tested positive.

At another middle school in Hadong, where case 402 was confirmed positive in the morning, a screening clinic has also been set up, and 171 students and staff are being tested. The number of confirmed cases related to middle schools in the Hadong area has increased to 17.

The number of confirmed cases in Changwon is also continuing to rise. Case 398 is the younger sibling of an elementary school student (case 395) in Jinhae-gu, Changwon, who tested positive the day before, and attends an attached kindergarten in the area. A screening clinic has been set up at the attached kindergarten from the 18th to test contacts.

Case 401 attends the same elementary school as case 395 and had contact at an academy. Tests are underway for four family members and academy staff.

Cases 399 and 400 work at the same workplace as case 394, a confirmed case in Gimhae. Case 410 is the child of case 399.

Case 418 was admitted to a hospital in Changwon on the 16th and was receiving treatment, but on the 17th, due to worsening fever symptoms, was tested for COVID-19.

The quarantine authorities are taking the infection situation in Hadong-gun seriously and plan to make every effort to prevent further spread within the region.

All senior centers, welfare centers, and daycare centers in Hadong have been closed, and visits to nursing institutions and hospitals have been prohibited. In preparation for an increase in self-quarantined individuals, the Hadong Youth Training Center has been designated as a self-quarantine facility.

Hadong-gun plans to raise the social distancing level starting from the 19th. Detailed measures are being coordinated with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

The provincial Office of Education has decided to switch six schools in Hadong-eup to remote classes.

Changwon City has also started strengthening distancing measures, including banning indoor gatherings and events of more than 100 people and mandating electronic entry logs at bathhouses.

As a result, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the province has increased to 415. Of these, 332 have been discharged, and 83 are currently hospitalized.

Governor Kim Kyung-soo and Superintendent of Education Park Jong-hoon held a joint briefing, stating, “There are concerns that the spread of COVID-19 will continue not only in Gyeongnam but nationwide for the time being,” and urged, “Please strictly follow quarantine rules such as wearing masks, washing hands, and social distancing.”

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