Confirmed COVID-19 patient who escaped hospital arrested and detained in Sinchon

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] A COVID-19 confirmed patient in Paju who escaped from the hospital while receiving treatment after being diagnosed with the novel coronavirus infection last month has been arrested.

The Uijeongbu District Court Goyang Branch issued an arrest warrant on the 24th for Mr. A, a man in his 50s, who was apprehended on charges including violation of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act, citing concerns about flight risk.

Mr. A, a member of Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, escaped from Paju Hospital around 12:20 a.m. on the 18th of last month and wandered around Seoul city. He was caught by the police at a coffee shop in Sinchon, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 25 hours after his escape. It is known that there were about 40 customers in the coffee shop at the time.

After being caught by the police, he was re-admitted to Gyeonggi-do Medical Center Paju Hospital and was discharged on the 23rd after testing negative for COVID-19.

The police obtained an arrest warrant for Mr. A and arrested him immediately on the day of his discharge. After further investigation, the police applied for an arrest warrant, which was granted on the same day.

The arrest warrants for the pastor and elder of Sarang Jeil Church, requested by the police on charges of obstructing the epidemiological investigation by quarantine authorities, were dismissed by the court. The Seoul Central District Court held a pre-arrest detention hearing for Pastor Lee and Elder Kim and dismissed their warrants, stating that it was unlikely that the suspects would flee or destroy evidence.

Seongbuk-gu requested the church’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage for the epidemiological investigation of a Sarang Jeil Church member who tested positive for COVID-19 last month. Mr. Lee and Mr. Kim were investigated on suspicion of not complying and removing the relevant materials.