First COVID-19 Case Confirmed Among Overseas Diplomatic Staff: "Low Risk of Further Spread Due to Preventive Measures"

On the 9th, one staff member of the European Union Embassy in Belgium was confirmed positive by local medical personnel.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] One employee working at the European Union (EU) Embassy in Belgium has tested positive for COVID-19. This is the first time that an overseas diplomatic mission employee has been confirmed to have contracted the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the 11th, "One employee working at the overseas diplomatic mission was confirmed positive by medical staff on the 9th."

The possibility of transmission was judged to be low. The official explained, "Due to contact with close contacts, preventive self-quarantine measures were taken, and with the prompt actions of the mission, the possibility of further transmission is considered low."

On the 22nd of last month, it was confirmed that the cohabitant of this employee had contact with a COVID-19 confirmed case, and the mission immediately implemented self-quarantine measures for the employee and conducted mission disinfection, it is known.

It has been reported that no suspicious symptoms have appeared among other employees working at the same mission or their families. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "We have been making efforts to protect the health of overseas diplomatic mission employees and will continue to do so."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has distributed response guidelines and quarantine manuals, and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, supplied overseas missions with masks and hand sanitizers worth 144,000,000 dollars and deployed 94 thermal imaging cameras.