Infection After Playing Golf with a Confirmed Case... First Suspected Transmission at a Golf Course

At a screening clinic, a clinic official is checking the fever status of a citizen waiting for a test. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] A case presumed to be the first transmission of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) through a golf course has been confirmed.

According to Yeoju City, Gyeonggi Province, a 68-year-old man residing in Ohhak-dong tested positive for COVID-19 on the previous day. He is the first confirmed COVID-19 patient in Yeoju City. Additionally, a 68-year-old man living in Jeongja 1-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam City, who is an acquaintance of this man, was confirmed positive on the 2nd.

It was confirmed that they played golf together with patient number 50 from Uijeongbu City at a golf course in Gwangju City on the 25th of last month. While under self-quarantine, they showed symptoms such as fever and sore throat and underwent COVID-19 tests at the screening clinics of Yeoju City Public Health Center and Bundang-gu Public Health Center, respectively.

This is the first case where the COVID-19 virus is presumed to have been transmitted at a golf course. Besides the two confirmed patients from Seongnam and Yeoju, 11 colleagues who played golf with patient number 50 from Uijeongbu were all placed under self-quarantine. Ten others, including golf course staff and customers, were classified as close contacts and are currently under self-quarantine.

A Yeoju City official stated, "The confirmed man residing in Ohhak-dong testified that he met patient number 50 from Uijeongbu at the golf course, shook hands, and had lunch together." A Gwangju City official also said, "It was investigated that patient number 50 from Uijeongbu and his colleagues stayed at the golf course from 7 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. on the 25th of last month," adding, "The golf course was disinfected two days prior."