132 Cases of Group Infection in Four Days... Gyeongnam Province Declares "Crisis Situation"

Shin Jong-woo, Director of Welfare and Health Bureau of Gyeongnam Province, is giving a briefing.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Ju Cheol-in] The number of confirmed cases linked to the sauna in Jinju, Gyeongnam, exceeded 130 as 40 new cases were added on the morning of the 13th alone.

As of 1 PM on the 13th, Gyeongsangnam-do announced that 55 new confirmed cases occurred: 45 in Jinju, 6 in Namhae, 2 in Geoje, and 1 each in Changwon and Uiryeong. Except for 2 overseas entrants, all cases are locally transmitted.

Among the 45 cases in Jinju, 40 are related to the 'Pharos Health Sauna' in Sangdae-dong, Jinju, showing an explosive spread of infection.

So far, 1,600 people related to the sauna have been tested, resulting in a cumulative 132 confirmed cases. 1,087 tested negative, and 381 are still undergoing testing.

The number of confirmed cases related to family gatherings in Jinju and Sacheon increased by 2, totaling 16. In Namhae, 6 more cases related to family and acquaintances were confirmed, bringing the total to 12. One confirmed case in Geoje and the confirmed case in Uiryeong are overseas entrants.

Accordingly, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the province rose to 2,356 (207 hospitalized, 2,137 discharged, 12 deceased).

Gyeongnam Province is strengthening quarantine rules in response to the surge of confirmed cases in bathhouses and similar facilities.

It has made fever checks and COVID-19 symptom verification mandatory for bathhouse users and strongly recommends the use of electronic entry logs.

The province explained that due to residential conditions, some residents lack sufficient bathing facilities or need to use bathhouses, so operation of bathhouses is unavoidable.

In Gyeongnam, social distancing level 1.5 has been extended for two weeks until the 28th, following the decision of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters the previous day.

Considering fairness with other industries, operating hours for entertainment facilities will be lifted. However, management will be strengthened through constant inspection of quarantine rules and a one-strike-out policy.

Shin Jong-woo, Director of the Welfare and Health Bureau, said, “The situation of confirmed cases in Gyeongnam is a crisis that cannot be taken lightly even for a moment,” adding, “As seen in this cluster infection case, preventing COVID-19 infection by following personal quarantine rules is more important than vaccines.”

Director Shin urged, “Please strictly follow the quarantine rules to get tested if you feel sick, stay at home, and minimize contact with others. If you experience any abnormal symptoms, visit a health center immediately for testing.”

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