Visitors to fortune-telling houses in Chungju consecutively test positive for COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyung-su] Visitors who visited a fortune teller's house in Chungju, Chungbuk, have consecutively contracted the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to Chungju City on the 25th, a person in their 50s (Chungju case 72) and a person in their 60s (Chungju case 73), who were confirmed positive on that day, had visited the house of a person in their 60s (Chungju case 67) Mr. A, who was confirmed positive on the 23rd.

Mr. A, who keeps a Buddha statue at his house, has been working under the signboard "Insaeng Sangdam" (Life Counseling), providing fortune-telling services.

The city health authorities conducted thorough testing on six people who had visited Mr. A's house, based on his statement that six people had visited from two days before symptom onset until the confirmation of infection. Among the six, five tested positive.

A teenager (Chungju case 75) family member of a 60s confirmed patient (Chungju case 71) who visited "Insaeng Sangdam" was also confirmed positive in the afternoon of the same day.

A health center official said, "It is unknown whether Mr. A charged consultation fees, and there were no credit card terminals or CCTV," adding, "To identify visitors, we have no choice but to rely on Mr. A's statement."

Chungju City is encouraging voluntary diagnostic testing for visitors to Mr. A's house through disaster text messages.

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