Daegu and Gyeongbuk "As Anxious as During MERS"... Avoiding Going Out and Local Businesses Shrinking

On the morning of the 19th, amid reports of multiple confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Daegu area, the emergency room of Kyungpook National University Hospital in Jung-gu, Daegu, was closed. / Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Osangdo, Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jucheolin] The Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions plunged into chaos as 13 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) were reported in a single day. Citizens are reluctant to go out due to fears of infection, and local businesses such as restaurants are experiencing severe contraction. The Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education has begun a full review of postponing the start of elementary, middle, and high schools.

According to Daegu City and Gyeongbuk Province on the 19th, a 61-year-old woman residing in Seo-gu was confirmed as the 31st COVID-19 patient, leading to the closure of emergency rooms at major university hospitals in Daegu, including Kyungpook National University, Yeungnam University, and Keimyung University.

At an official briefing at 10 a.m. that day, Daegu City announced that 13 patients tested positive in Daegu and Gyeongbuk. Among them, 10 were church members who attended the service with the 31st patient, and it was reported that a staff member of a traditional Korean medicine hospital visited by the patient was also included. The remaining two are under investigation for their connection to the 31st patient. Daegu City stated that it plans to operate a COVID-19 disaster emergency response system immediately after the briefing. Officials from Daegu City and Gyeongbuk Province said, “The city and province have currently closed the emergency rooms of the relevant general hospitals in the region and are conducting disinfection work.”

The Suseong District Council in Daegu also decided to postpone the scheduled extraordinary session that day. The council held an emergency meeting of the chairpersons and announced the postponement of the 234th extraordinary session to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

As news of emergency room closures spread, citizens expressed extreme anxiety. They showed unusual behavior such as calling to check on family members and visiting pharmacies and convenience stores to purchase masks.

Some netizens posted comments on online bulletin boards saying, “Daegu seems dangerous now,” and “The situation seems more serious than in Seoul or the metropolitan area.” Others expressed concerns, recalling the government’s initial failure to respond during the MERS outbreak, which caused great anxiety. The reality of community infection revived memories of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in May 2015, which resulted in 186 patients.

Meanwhile, the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education recognized the current situation as equivalent to a 'serious' level and announced plans to form an emergency response team led by Superintendent Kang Eun-hee. Separately from the Blue House countermeasure meeting attended by superintendents nationwide, an emergency meeting chaired by the deputy superintendent will be held to devise response measures. The Office of Education is reportedly actively considering postponing the start of elementary, middle, and high schools, which is about ten days away, depending on the situation. They are also considering suspending the public opening of school sports facilities.