Nurse and Father at Busan Medical Center Infected Together
Attendance Confirmed at Easter Service... Epidemiological Investigation Underway
High Alert Over Cluster Infection Risk via Religious Facilities
On the 19th, a disinfection vehicle is conducting sanitization work at a church in Gangseo-gu, Busan, where the 128th confirmed case attended the Easter service. This church is currently closed. In Busan, where no new COVID-19 cases had been reported for 26 consecutive days, two additional infections occurred, including the first confirmed case among medical staff and a related family member.
If no new cases are reported for 28 days, which is twice the 2-week incubation period of COVID-19, it is considered that community transmission has effectively ended. The new cases emerged just two days before reaching this epidemiological milestone indicating the end of community spread.
Since March 24, excluding 20 cases imported from overseas, no community transmission cases had been reported in Busan.
On the afternoon of the 19th, Busan City announced in an online regular briefing that two additional confirmed cases were identified, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 129.
Among the two new cases, one was a nurse treating COVID-19 patients at Busan Medical Center, and the other was the nurse’s father.
This marks the first case of infection among medical staff treating confirmed patients in Busan.
The 128th patient, Mr. A, a 58-year-old man living in Buk-gu, was diagnosed positive after visiting a screening clinic due to recent coughing and chest pain.
The 129th patient, Ms. B, a 25-year-old woman and the daughter of Mr. A, is a nurse at Busan Medical Center.
Busan City is conducting an epidemiological investigation, considering the possibility that Ms. B was infected while working in a ward where confirmed patients transferred from a nursing hospital in Daegu were admitted.
The city is closely tracking the nurse’s work movements, including how many patients and other medical staff she had contact with.
Additionally, investigations are underway to determine whether Mr. A was infected by his daughter or through other factors.
It was confirmed that Mr. A attended an Easter service on the 12th at a small church in Gangseo-gu, Busan, where about 100 congregants were present.
Busan City has closed the church and initiated self-quarantine and comprehensive testing for all attendees of the Easter service.
On Easter Sunday, April 12, worship services were held at 952 out of 1,756 churches in the Busan area, accounting for 54.2%.
Busan City is also tracing Mr. A’s movements during the six days between the Easter service and his positive diagnosis.
Health authorities are on high alert, concerned that the infection could spread through religious facilities, similar to the cluster outbreak at Oncheon Church in Busan, which resulted in 32 confirmed cases in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Currently, among the 129 confirmed cases in Busan, there have been 3 deaths and 111 recoveries.
Fifteen patients, including Mr. A and his daughter, are receiving inpatient treatment at Busan Medical Center and Busan National University Hospital, while 3,182 people are under self-quarantine.
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