Infections Spread Across Hospitals and Factories... 513 Cases Reported in Workplaces Over the Past Two Weeks (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] Although the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases has remained in the 300s for two consecutive days, cluster infections are occurring in various everyday settings such as hospitals, factories, churches, and family gatherings.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) as of midnight on the 23rd, nine additional confirmed cases were identified among patients, caregivers, family members, and workers related to Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, bringing the total confirmed cases to 218.

Park Young-jun, head of the epidemiological investigation team at the CDCH, stated, "Confirmed cases are occurring not only on the 8th floor where the initial patient was identified but also across multiple floors, including the 5th to 9th floors, and are not limited to a single ward." He added, "Since patients, caregivers, and workers have all been infected, there was likely repeated and continuous exposure within those spaces."

Park also mentioned, "There appear to have been lapses in infection control among workers, hospitalized patients, and caregivers." He explained, "Based on some CCTV footage, mask-wearing was insufficient, and delays in prompt testing when symptoms were suspected contributed to the scale of the cluster outbreak."

Confirmed cases continue to emerge in manufacturing factories with a large number of foreign workers. According to the CDCH, there have been 14 workplace outbreaks in the past two weeks, involving 513 people.

In Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, a plastic factory reported a total of 179 confirmed cases. Among them, 123 were foreign workers, 10 were Korean nationals, and an additional 46 transmissions occurred mainly among family members and acquaintances.

In Asan-si, Chungnam, a heating appliance factory reported a total of 173 confirmed cases, including 26 foreign workers.

Lee Sang-won, head of the epidemiological investigation and analysis division at the CDCH, said, "In-depth epidemiological investigations revealed that these workplaces had shared dormitory living, dense working environments, and many shared spaces, making them vulnerable to infection." He added, "There were risk factors such as inadequate mask-wearing within the workplace."

Lee emphasized, "To prevent further spread of infection into the community, anyone with suspected symptoms should be able to get tested without fear of crackdowns or punishment." He also urged, "Foreign workers in the vicinity should be reassured that they can undergo testing without concerns about enforcement or penalties."

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