Taxi Driver Also Infected in Changwon... 87 Confirmed Cases in Gyeongnam

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Ju-cheol In] Gyeongsangnam-do announced that as of 5 p.m. on the 20th, 87 new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed.

By region, there were 35 cases in Changwon, 22 in Gimhae, 9 in Geoje, 6 in Jinju, 5 in Tongyeong, 4 in Geochang, 2 in Haman, 1 in Uiryeong, 1 in Miryang, 1 in Yangsan, and 1 in Changnyeong. Except for one overseas entrant, all cases are locally transmitted.

By type, 40 cases were family members or coworkers of confirmed patients, 13 were acquaintances, and 4 had overlapping movement paths.

In Changwon, a taxi driver was diagnosed positive after showing suspected COVID-19 symptoms and undergoing testing.

This confirmed patient operated a taxi from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the 16th, 17th, and 19th. The quarantine authorities sent safety alert messages providing taxi information and recommended that passengers who used the taxi during these times undergo preemptive testing.

Accordingly, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the province rose to 9,279 (1,205 hospitalized, 8,051 discharged, 23 deceased).

As the government decided to extend the social distancing level 3 measures applied to non-metropolitan areas for two weeks from midnight on the 23rd until September 5th, the level 3 measures will continue in all cities and counties in the province except for Changwon and Gimhae, which are under level 4.

The extension of level 4 in Haman, currently scheduled until the 22nd, has not yet been decided. The province urged active cooperation, stating that extending social distancing is an unavoidable measure to firmly curb the current spread of COVID-19.

A provincial official said, "The ongoing spread of COVID-19 since last month is due to the very rapid transmission speed of the Delta variant," and added, "If you have any abnormal symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, or muscle pain, please get tested immediately at the nearest screening clinic."

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