238 Confirmed Cases and 1 Death in Gyeongnam... Cluster Infections Including Kimjang Gatherings

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Ju Cheol-in] As of 5 p.m. on the 21st, Gyeongsangnam-do announced that 238 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the province.

By region, there were 69 in Yangsan, 64 in Changwon, 33 in Gimhae, 17 each in Jinju and Geoje, 10 in Sacheon, 6 in Tongyeong, 5 in Miryang, 4 each in Hadong and Goseong, 2 each in Changnyeong, Uiryeong, and Namhae, and 1 each in Sancheong, Geochang, and Hapcheon. Except for 6 cases from overseas arrivals, all are local infections.

Regarding the infection routes, among the total confirmed cases, 97 were infected through contact with confirmed cases within the province such as family members and coworkers, and 15 were infected through contact with confirmed cases from other regions including the Seoul metropolitan area.

Among the routes classified as cluster infections, there were 27 cases related to an educational facility in Yangsan, 2 related to a kimchi-making gathering in Hadong, 1 related to a daycare center III in Gimhae, 5 related to a nursing hospital II in Gimhae, 3 related to a nursing hospital III in Gimhae, 1 related to a medical institution V in Changwon, and 2 related to a medical institution in Uiryeong.

The newly identified cluster infection related to the Yangsan educational facility involved 1 student who was confirmed positive on the 20th, followed by 27 additional confirmed cases through comprehensive testing. The cumulative number of confirmed cases is 28.

This educational facility has been temporarily closed for two days starting from the 20th, and all students and staff in all classes have been placed under quarantine.

Also, regarding the Hadong kimchi-making gathering, after 2 people who had contact with a confirmed case from Ulsan on the 17th tested positive, 4 additional contacts from the small kimchi-making gathering were confirmed positive, and 15 people tested positive on the 18th from tests of family members and acquaintances.

Subsequently, as a result of comprehensive testing of village residents, 9 people, including 2 on the 21st, were confirmed positive, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 30.

Hadong County quarantine authorities decided to temporarily close all community centers in the area until January 2 of next year as a preemptive measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The infection routes of the remaining 79 cases are under investigation.

There was also 1 death. An elderly patient in their 80s who was receiving inpatient treatment at Ewha Nursing Hospital in Gimhae passed away.

Accordingly, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the province has increased to 18,675 (2,254 hospitalized, 16,350 discharged, 71 deceased).

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