Cluster Infection Spread in Workplaces, Religious Facilities, and Nursing Homes... Over 25% of Cases with Unknown Infection Routes (Update)

Citizens waiting to get tested at the screening clinic set up at Gangseo-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The scale of cluster infections of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is increasing, centered on workplaces and religious facilities in the metropolitan area, factories, and nursing facilities in provincial areas. Among those confirmed positive in the past two weeks, the proportion of patients with unknown infection routes has also exceeded 25%.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) on the 18th, while investigating contacts of confirmed patients related to the Yongsan Trade Center construction site in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 12 additional people tested positive, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 88 as of midnight that day. Among them, 75 are workers, 9 family members, 3 acquaintances, and 1 other.

Regarding a nursing hospital in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, 7 additional confirmed cases were identified during follow-up testing of those in joint quarantine, bringing the total to 37. Among the confirmed cases, 19 are workers and 18 are patients.

In Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, related to a religious facility, after the first confirmed case (index patient) occurred on the 16th, 14 additional people including church members and acquaintances tested positive during contact tracing, making a total of 15 confirmed cases so far. At a financial company in Jung-gu, Seoul, 13 people including company employees were newly confirmed positive.

In Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, a cluster outbreak centered on a semiconductor company has resulted in a total of 14 infections among workers and family members since the 9th. Also, related to a fabric manufacturing factory in Ansan-si, a total of 24 people have been confirmed positive to date.

Outside the metropolitan area, in Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon Province, 6 additional cases were identified during contact tracing related to a ski resort, increasing the cumulative confirmed cases to 17 as of midnight that day. Currently, additional infections have occurred from ski resort workers to PC room users.

Regarding a hospital in Goesan-gun, Chungbuk Province, 14 more confirmed cases were added, bringing the total to 22. In Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 12 people were infected consecutively centered on a manufacturer. The number of confirmed cases related to Naeum Church in Dangjin-si, Chungnam Province, also increased by 6 from the previous day to 125.

In a religious facility case in Nam-gu, Daegu, after the first confirmed case on the 13th, 11 additional people tested positive, totaling 12 infections. Confirmed cases related to another religious facility in Jung-gu also increased to 30.

In a family-related infection case in Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk Province, a total of 17 people were confirmed positive, including family members, acquaintances, and school-related cases. Regarding an office building in Dong-gu, Busan, a total of 23 people were infected centered on two companies, and at a bathhouse in Dongnae-gu, additional infections occurred among users, family, and colleagues, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to 18.

Confirmed cases related to Yangji Nursing Hospital in Ulsan increased by 22, totaling 229. Among the confirmed cases, 164 are patients, 24 workers, 21 caregivers, and 20 others. In Jeju, confirmed cases have continued at religious facilities in Jeju-si (44 cumulative) and missionary groups (8).

Meanwhile, among the 11,184 new confirmed cases from the 5th to this day, 2,830 cases are under investigation for infection routes. This accounts for 25.3% of the total, up 1.2 percentage points from the previous day (24.1%).

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