Cluster Infection from Geoje Sauna and Entertainment Venues Reaches Daewoo Shipbuilding... 13 Shipyard Employees Confirmed Positive

Governor Kim Kyung-soo of Gyeongnam Province Briefing.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Ju Cheol-in] The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) originating from saunas and entertainment establishments in Geoje, Gyeongnam, appears to be spreading to the large shipbuilding company Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME).

According to Gyeongnam Province and Geoje City on the 17th, as of the morning of that day, 13 employees of DSME and its partner companies tested positive for COVID-19.

On the 14th, one DSME employee who had visited a sauna where the first confirmed case from the sauna and entertainment establishments in Geoje City was reported tested positive for COVID-19. Subsequently, on the 15th, one employee of a DSME partner company tested positive.

Authorities including Gyeongnam Province believe this employee was infected after visiting an entertainment establishment on the 3rd. By 11 a.m. on the 17th, a total of 13 cases were confirmed at DSME headquarters (7 people) and partner companies (6 people).

A Gyeongnam Province official stated, “So far, there have been no cases of secondary infections within the company through initially infected headquarters and affiliate employees,” and added, “It is estimated that a significant number of the other infected individuals were infected after individually visiting entertainment establishments.”

In Geoje City, as of the morning of the 17th, about 50 confirmed cases originating from saunas and entertainment establishments have been reported. The sauna and entertainment establishments where the cluster infections began are located in Okpo-dong.

DSME is located in Ajou-dong near Okpo-dong. Currently, confirmed cases from entertainment establishments in Okpo-dong, Ajou-dong, and nearby Jangseungpo-dong are emerging rapidly.

It is presumed that DSME-related confirmed cases were infected after using restaurants and entertainment establishments near their workplaces and homes as usual.

In December last year, DSME temporarily suspended operations for three days after three employees tested positive. However, this time, since no infections have been reported within the company, there is no consideration to suspend operations.

A DSME official said, “Since the infections occurred outside the company and employees were infected with COVID-19 outside the workplace, we are strengthening internal quarantine measures while closely monitoring the trend of regional infections.”

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