14 Employees Including Staff Confirmed Positive Consecutively at Busan Shinsegae Centum City Branch

On the 31st of last month, Shinsegae Department Store Centum City Branch in Haeundae-gu, Busan, appeared quieter than usual weekends. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] After a COVID-19 cluster infection occurred at the luxury goods store in Shinsegae Department Store Centum City Branch in Busan, additional confirmed cases have been identified at the ice rink, a play facility, following the children's experience center.

According to Shinsegae Department Store on the 4th, one employee working part-time at the ice rink goods sales corner in the Centum City branch tested positive for COVID-19 on the 3rd. This employee voluntarily underwent testing after hearing on the 1st of this month that an acquaintance had tested positive and informed the department store on the 2nd.

The department store has closed the ice rink and suspended operations for two days since the 3rd. So far, all 26 employees working at the ice rink have undergone COVID-19 diagnostic tests and received negative results. The city health authorities are currently identifying customers who had contact with the confirmed case based on card payment records and other data.

A department store official explained, "Additional measures and whether to resume ice rink operations will be decided in consultation with the quarantine authorities."

Earlier, at this department store, after the first confirmed case was reported at the Chanel store on the 28th of last month, a total of 12 people, including employees who worked together and acquaintances, tested positive. The store temporarily suspended operations from July 29th to the 5th of this month, and the entire department store closed for one day on the 2nd for special quarantine measures.

However, Shinsegae Centum City Mall, connected to the department store, operated normally on the 2nd, and an additional employee at KidZania, the children's job experience facility there, also tested positive. KidZania stated, "Although all 170 employees and others who underwent preemptive testing received negative results, we will remain closed on the 4th following the closure on the 3rd due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 originating from the department store.".

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