Administrative Order for 'Mandatory Testing' Issued in Guryongpo, Pohang City... 26 Residents Confirmed Positive in Succession

Confirmed Cases Among Sojubang Owners: 24th - 1, 25th - 2, 26th - 4, 27th - 10, 28th - 9

On the 27th, residents of Guryongpo are lining up to get tested for COVID-19 at the 'Emergency Screening Clinic' set up next to the Guryongpo Residents' Library in Guryongpo-eup, Nam-gu, Pohang-si, Gyeongbuk. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] The spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) that began at a sojubang in Guryongpo-eup, Nam-gu, Pohang is intensifying day by day.

Since the business owner was confirmed positive on the 24th, the number of chain infections linked to customers who visited the place increased to 2 on the 25th, 4 on the 26th, and 10 on the 27th. As of 8 p.m. on the 28th, 9 out of 10 new confirmed cases in the Pohang area were identified as related to this location.

Predicting the signs of chain infection, Pohang City issued a special administrative order from midnight on the 27th requiring all residents of Guryongpo-eup, actual residents, and those who frequently visit for business to undergo COVID-19 testing.

Additionally, a ban on gatherings was imposed on coffee shops and karaoke rooms in the town, and indoor meetings of three or more people are being monitored. All crew members of vessels departing from Guryongpohang were also required to return early and undergo COVID-19 diagnostic testing by midnight on the 31st.

Following Pohang City's administrative order for a full survey of Guryongpo-eup residents, an emergency screening clinic set up next to the Guryongpo-eup Residents' Library has been continuously visited by residents seeking testing. On the 27th alone, about 4,700 out of approximately 7,600 residents of Guryongpo-eup were tested.

Amid this situation, anxiety among Guryongpo-eup residents grew further when news spread on the 27th that a crew member suddenly died on a squid fishing vessel that departed from Guryongpohang. The captain of this squid fishing vessel had been staying in the wheelhouse after being notified by health authorities that he was a contact of a confirmed case during fishing operations. Fortunately, both the captain and crew tested negative for COVID-19 in tests conducted immediately after the vessel returned urgently due to the crew member's death.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok appealed, "Proactive and aggressive testing and meticulous quarantine are necessary, so we have inevitably issued a special administrative order for the Guryongpo-eup area. Although it may be inconvenient, we ask for your cooperation with the special administrative order to block COVID-19 early."

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