COVID-19 Cluster Infections Surge Nationwide... 176 Confirmed Cases Linked to Jinju Bathhouse

In Geoje City, Gyeongnam, a COVID-19 cluster infection occurred at bathhouses and entertainment establishments. On the 15th, citizens lined up and waited their turn at the screening clinic set up at Geoje Gymnasium to get tested for COVID-19. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Amid the ongoing impact of the domestic COVID-19 'third wave,' new clusters of infections have emerged or expanded across various parts of the country.

New infections have been confirmed at workplaces and clinics, while existing cluster cases, such as the bathhouse case in Jinju, Gyeongnam, are gradually increasing in scale.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) on the 16th, since the first confirmed case (index patient) related to a beauty salon in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, and a clinic in Jung-gu on the 4th, 22 additional cases have been confirmed. These include 1 beauty salon worker, 2 customers, 3 family members, 1 acquaintance (index patient), and 11 others, as well as 4 clinic workers and 1 customer.

Regarding a workplace in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, and a church in Yangcheon-gu, 13 additional cases were confirmed after the first case was identified on the 9th. At the workplace, 2 workers (including the index patient) tested positive, and at the church, 6 congregants and 6 family members were confirmed positive.

Outside Seoul but within the metropolitan area, 10 additional positive cases were confirmed following the first case on the 12th related to a cosmetics manufacturing business in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do.

Various new cluster outbreaks have also been identified in non-metropolitan areas.

In Sejong, 10 cases were confirmed related to an insurance company; in Yecheon-gun, Gyeongbuk, 5 cases related to a nursing hospital; and in Sokcho-si, Gangwon, 15 cases related to a gymnastics center were reported as new cluster infections.

The cluster outbreak related to the second bathhouse case in Jinju, Gyeongnam, continues to see an increase in confirmed cases. As of this day, 26 additional cases were confirmed, bringing the total cumulative number to 176. Health authorities estimate the infection route as bathhouse → family/relatives (golf course)/colleagues → workplace/family.

In Jinju, besides this, 12 additional cases were confirmed following the first case on the 13th related to a company, totaling 13 new confirmed cases.

Additionally, in the Gyeongnam area, a total of 34 cluster infections occurred related to entertainment facilities in Geoje-si. These include 17 entertainment facility workers, 7 customers, 2 acquaintances, 4 family members, and 1 other, plus 1 worker, 1 visitor, and 1 family member related to a bathhouse visited by an entertainment facility worker.

Exterior view of the bathhouse building in Geoje-si, Gyeongnam, suspected to be the cause of the mass infection.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The CDCH has urged compliance with quarantine rules concerning the spread of community infections centered around bathhouses in the Ulsan and Gyeongnam regions.

Besides the Jinju bathhouse 2 cluster, a total of 53 cases have been confirmed related to a bathhouse in Ulsan since the index patient was confirmed on the 7th. In both cases, health authorities report that even after symptom onset, frequent bathhouse use by regular members and facility users and workers led to primary infections, followed by additional transmission to workplaces, academies, daycare centers, and multi-use facilities in the community through family and colleagues.

Health authorities have requested bathhouse managers to ▲prohibit entry of users with suspected symptoms other than fever (such as body aches, respiratory symptoms) ▲limit the number of users to fewer than one person per 4㎡ of facility area ▲ensure regular ventilation and compliance with quarantine rules. They also emphasized to bathhouse users ▲to visit medical institutions first if experiencing cold or body ache symptoms ▲to refrain from talking with others when using indoor multi-use facilities such as bathhouses and gyms ▲and to minimize time spent and only engage in necessary activities.

Additionally, the CDCH analyzed the recent COVID-19 outbreak in the metropolitan area, which accounts for 70-80% of domestic cases, and found that about 60% of cluster infections increased centered on workplaces and multi-use facilities. Particularly, cases where symptomatic individuals worked or used facilities accounted for 23% of all cluster infection cases, citing ▲insufficient quarantine management in group living ▲crowded indoor environments ▲non-wearing of masks as major risk factors.

The CDCH reiterated its request to prevent further spread by advising anyone with even slight suspected symptoms to ▲refrain from going to work ▲avoid visiting or using multi-use facilities such as saunas and indoor sports facilities ▲and get tested immediately at screening clinics.

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