'Special Quarantine Week' Gyeongju City Reports Record High 27 New COVID-19 Cases on the 15th

As of 5 PM... Hesitating Over Level 4 Social Distancing Card

Deputy Mayor Kim Hojin of Gyeongju City holding an emergency briefing on the 15th.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] In Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk region, confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are rapidly increasing, centered around cluster infections at a steel company in an industrial complex and a restaurant in Yonggang-dong.

As of 5 p.m. on the 15th, the number of confirmed cases in a single day has already reached a record high of 27, with 97 additional cases since the 9th, indicating a serious trend of chain infections.

Gyeongju City has been implementing enhanced social distancing Level 3 from the 9th to the 22nd and declared a "Special Quarantine Week" from the 9th to the 15th, taking strong measures, but has not been able to slow the infection rate.

The 27 confirmed cases on the 15th were identified as follows: 16 from a cluster infection among employees of the steel company in Gangdong Industrial Complex, 9 related to the restaurant in Yonggang-dong, 1 confirmed during self-quarantine, and 1 with an unknown infection route.

The steel company located in Gangdong employs 33 people, including 6 Koreans and 27 foreigners. Including 6 confirmed cases from other areas such as Pohang, a total of 22 people have tested positive. After testing all employees on the 14th, the company has effectively been closed.

In response to the cluster infection at the steel company, the city has set up temporary screening clinics for two days, from the 15th to the 16th, at three administrative welfare centers in nearby areas: Angang-eup, Gangdong-myeon, and Cheonbuk-myeon, conducting proactive testing.

With the recent increase in confirmed foreign cases, Gyeongju City has been focusing on preventing spread through proactive testing of foreign residents and their families in the area since the 7th. As a result, 25 foreigners tested positive among those tested. Among the 27 confirmed cases on the 15th, 19 were foreigners or family members and coworkers who had contact with foreigners.

Considering the seriousness of the situation, Gyeongju City plans to discuss with Gyeongbuk Province, Pohang City, and quarantine authorities the possibility of raising social distancing to Level 4 if the spread worsens further.

Deputy Mayor Kim Hojin said in an emergency briefing on the 15th, "This emergency measure is an unavoidable step to block early spread within the region, so we ask for active cooperation from citizens," adding, "We will do our best to prevent the situation from worsening any further."

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