[Breaking] 50s Man from Seocho, Seoul, Who Visited Daegu Shincheonji, Tests Positive for COVID-19... District Office Advises "Avoid Going Out"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-gi] A man in his 50s, Shin Mo (59), residing in Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, was confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) on the 21st.

Seocho-gu announced this through a press release distributed that morning, stating, "The confirmed patient was verified to have attended the Shincheonji Church in Daegu on the 12th, and is currently being transferred to the National Medical Center, a government-designated hospital."

The medical staff who treated this confirmed patient have been quarantined, and disinfection inside the hospital has been completed. Seocho-gu plans to disclose the confirmed patient's movement path as soon as the epidemiological investigation results from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's immediate response team are available.

Seocho-gu has raised the crisis response level to 'serious' and plans to strengthen disinfection work at multi-use facilities within the district. A Seocho-gu official said, "We will conduct an emergency full investigation of Shincheonji-related facilities and carry out rapid disinfection activities to minimize community infection," adding, "We urge Seocho-gu residents to avoid going out as much as possible and to strictly follow personal hygiene rules such as handwashing, wearing masks, and practicing proper coughing etiquette."

Additionally, Shincheonji church members were asked to inform the Seocho-gu Public Health Center whether they attended the Daegu gathering.