Nursing home [Photo by Getty Images]
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] A cluster of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) emerged at a nursing home in Incheon, prompting health authorities to place the facility under cohort isolation.
Incheon City announced on the 5th that the number of confirmed cases related to nursing home A in Sangok-dong, Bupyeong-gu, has increased to 20.
The confirmed cases include 15 residents, 3 caregivers, and 2 family members of the confirmed patients, including Mr. B, an octogenarian who was the first to test positive the previous day.
Mr. B had been residing at the nursing home but was discharged on the 3rd due to deteriorating health and tested positive during specimen testing conducted while being admitted to a hospital.
Health authorities are hospitalizing or transferring these confirmed patients to residential treatment centers for care. The nursing home has been placed under cohort isolation, and the condition of the remaining 25 residents and staff is being closely monitored.
Two social service agents who had stayed at the nursing home tested negative and are currently under self-quarantine at home.
Meanwhile, 17 residents in Incheon were also confirmed positive on the same day. Among them, 5 were contacts of confirmed cases within the district, 9 were contacts of confirmed cases from other cities or provinces, and the infection routes of the remaining 3 have not yet been identified.
As of this day, the cumulative number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the Incheon area stands at 1,538.
As of the previous day, Incheon City has 444 dedicated infectious disease beds, of which 136 are in use, representing an occupancy rate of 30.6%. Among 21 beds dedicated to severe patients, 12 are currently occupied.
The residential treatment centers have admitted 207 out of 320 available beds, showing an occupancy rate of 64.7%.
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