Busan High School Senior Contacts: All 115 Tested Negative So Far

Full Testing of 160 Contacts, Teachers, Students, and Parents Test Negative... Infection Route Remains a 'Mystery'

On the 19th, disinfection work to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was carried out in a high school senior classroom in Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] As of now, a total of 160 people have been identified as having come into contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case among high school seniors at Naeseong High School in Busan. On the 31st, test results for 115 of these individuals came back negative.

Busan city health authorities announced on the 31st at 10 a.m. that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases remains steady at 144, with no new cases reported compared to the previous day. No additional confirmed cases related to the last confirmed patient in Busan, Mr. A (18, Dongnae-gu), have been reported so far.

Contacts of Mr. A, including classmates, teachers, and individuals linked to PC rooms he visited after school, have been identified as totaling 160 people, and comprehensive testing is underway. Of these, 115 have completed specimen testing, all of which were negative. Depending on the level of contact, 50 people are under self-quarantine and 65 are under active monitoring. Testing will also be conducted for the remaining 45 individuals.

The last local transmission case in Busan before Mr. A was reported on the 13th with two cases. The infection route remains unknown and is currently under investigation. Mr. A started attending school on the 20th, showed first symptoms on the 27th, attended school every day except the 28th, and visited two PC rooms four times, according to investigations.

Busan reported one imported COVID-19 case each on the 27th and 28th consecutively. On the 30th, a total of 529 suspected patient tests were conducted. Among the cumulative 144 confirmed cases, six patients are hospitalized. An additional 323 arrivals were recorded, and 254 people, including 123 foreigners, are quarantined at the temporary isolation facility at Busan Station. As of the 31st, a total of 2,379 people, including these, are under self-quarantine.