COVID-19 Cases Related to Gwangneuksa Increase to 87 (Update)

COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Regular Briefing
9 Family Members in Jungnang-gu and 20 Church Members in Suwon Confirmed Positive

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] As new confirmed cases of COVID-19 have emerged mainly in officetels and nursing homes in Gwangju, the number of patients related to Gwangnyeoksa Temple in Gwangju has increased to 87 as of noon on the 6th.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, a total of 7 additional confirmed cases were identified: 3 related to the Geumyang Building in Gwangju, and 2 each related to Hanul Nursing Home and Gwangju Ilgok Central Church. The cluster infection related to Gwangnyeoksa Temple has spread to churches, nursing homes, and traveler gatherings since the first patient was confirmed on the 27th of last month, resulting in numerous confirmed cases.

The cluster infections in the Gwangju area are grouped as cases related to Gwangnyeoksa Temple, but some suggest that the outbreak may have started at the Geumyang Building and then spread to Gwangnyeoksa Temple. Many visitors' movement paths overlap, and considering the onset dates, some patients who visited the Geumyang Building developed symptoms earlier. However, the health authorities have not yet reached a conclusion.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said, "Among the visitors to the Geumyang Building, the number of confirmed cases is increasing, and some patients with earlier onset dates have been identified. There is also a person who had contact with a confirmed case from a door-to-door sales event in Daejeon." She added, "We are analyzing the chronological order and onset dates to determine where the outbreak started and who was infected first."

In a church gathering in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, 7 additional people, including contacts of previously confirmed patients and their family members, tested positive, raising the total number of patients to 20. By region, there are 14 in Gyeonggi and 6 in Incheon. At Wangseong Church in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, one more church member under self-quarantine tested positive, increasing the cumulative confirmed cases to 36, with 28 in Seoul and 8 in Gyeonggi.

Regarding the family cluster infection case in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, colleagues and contacts have consecutively tested positive, bringing the total confirmed cases to 9, just four days after the first patient was identified on the 2nd. These include workplace colleagues and family contacts. At The Joeun Clinic in Seo-gu, Daejeon, one more hospitalized patient under self-quarantine was infected, increasing the total confirmed cases to 10.

As of midnight on the same day, there were 24 confirmed cases imported from overseas, with 15 identified during quarantine and the remaining 9 found in the local community. The countries presumed to be sources of importation are Kazakhstan with 8 cases, Russia 4, Pakistan and India 3 each, the Americas 3, and Bangladesh, Qatar, and the Philippines 1 each. Among them, 10 are Korean nationals and 14 are foreigners.