Confirmed Cases Reported at Cafes, V Building, and Multi-Level Marketing Companies All in Gangnam Teheran-ro Area

[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] It has been confirmed that the main locations of domestic COVID-19 cluster outbreaks are concentrated around Teheran-ro in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, prompting health authorities to conduct a detailed investigation into whether there is any interconnection.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) on the 8th, among the 18 confirmed cases at 'Gippeum153 Church' in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 8 are related to the Gangnam multi-level marketing company 'Elgol In Bio.' This company is adjacent to Hollis Coffee Seolleung Station branch and the V Building in Yeoksam-dong, where previous cluster infections occurred.

All three locations are situated near Seolleung Station on Seoul Subway Line 2. However, Elgol In Bio is relatively closer to Yeoksam Station.

Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the CDCH, mentioned that these three locations are "indeed close in terms of location."

Deputy Director Kwon added, "There is a continuous link centered around multi-level marketing and door-to-door sales in the Seolleung Station and Gangnam area. It is concerning that such COVID-19 transmissions are quite frequent."

This suggests the possibility that 'silent transmission' of COVID-19 is continuing in the Gangnam area.

Looking at the specific transmission routes for each infection case, it is estimated that after confirmed cases occurred at Elgol In Bio, the virus spread to Gippeum153 Church.

Deputy Director Kwon explained, "The sequence between the multi-level marketing company and the (Gippeum153) church was investigated, and the multi-level marketing company was found to have preceded."

In the case of the 'Gangnam coffee shop and Yangjae-dong restaurant' cluster, a confirmed case at Hollis Coffee Seolleung Station branch visited Yangjae Jokbal Bossam in Seocho-gu, spreading COVID-19, with a total of 16 confirmed cases at the two locations.

Additionally, the cluster infection at Hollis Coffee Seolleung Station branch has been linked to a camping site in Hongcheon, Gangwon-do, and the V Building.

It was later confirmed that a confirmed case from the Hongcheon camping site, who had visited Hollis Coffee Seolleung Station branch, worked at the V Building, and health authorities are currently investigating the connections among these three cases along with the exact infection routes.

Although the confirmed cases at Hollis Coffee and the camping site were at the same place on the same day, it has not yet been determined who transmitted COVID-19 to whom.

So far, a total of 10 confirmed cases have been reported related to the Hongcheon camping site. The V Building infections are grouped with Hanwha Life under the 'Gangnam-gu office' case, with a cumulative total of 26 confirmed cases.