Central Disease Control Headquarters Regular Briefing
Cluster Classification at Gwangneuksa, Geumyang Building, and Briefing Session
Cluster Infections Also at Uijeongbu Apartment and Okcheon Parts Manufacturer
On the morning of the 1st, employees of the Jungang-dong Community Center and local quarantine team members are conducting disinfection around a hospital in Buk-gu, Gwangju, where a confirmed case was found among hospitalized patients. In Gwangju, double-digit confirmed cases were reported in a single day, raising concerns about regional spread. [Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases related to Gwangju Gwangneuksa Temple has increased by 5, bringing the total confirmed cases to 19. This cluster infection has been classified as the same group as the transmissions related to Geumyang Building and the cryptocurrency briefing session.
According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 1st, as of noon, one additional confirmed case was reported related to Wangseong Church in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, increasing the total number of patients to 32. Of these, 25 are in Seoul and 7 in Gyeonggi Province. Additionally, one more case was confirmed related to a congregation meeting in Suwon City, bringing the total confirmed cases to 9.
In an apartment in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, six residents from three households were confirmed positive. This includes the index patient, one family member of the patient, and four residents living in the same building. According to the health authorities' current findings, the households did not hold separate gatherings, and epidemiological investigations are underway considering the possibility of infection through shared spaces such as elevators. There have been occasional cases of transmission among neighbors in the same apartment, usually involving close contact such as separate meetings with the confirmed patient.
In Okcheon-gun, Chungbuk Province, two additional elementary school students were confirmed positive related to an automobile parts company, increasing the total confirmed cases to 11. This includes the index patient and one family member, four coworkers, three church members and their families, and two friends of the church members' families. As of midnight, 14 newly confirmed imported cases were identified, with Kazakhstan accounting for the highest number at 8. Iraq had 3 cases, and the Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan each had 1 case.
Regarding the suspected in-school transmission case at an elementary school in Daejeon, it is currently considered highly likely that the infection occurred within the school; however, since the epidemiological investigation is still ongoing, it has not been definitively classified as 'in-school transmission.' At a briefing, Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated, "One elementary school student was infected through family transmission, and one person who had contact with that student at an academy and one classmate were confirmed positive."
She added, "Since a full-scale testing is underway, we are trying to identify the infection routes based on the results. The confirmed classmate is considered to have been infected due to close contact with the elementary school student who tested positive," she explained.
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