Confirmed Patient Who Fled from Seoul's Eumseong Somang Hospital Arrested by Police in Cheongju (Comprehensive Report 2)

This photo is not related to the main article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] A confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) who escaped while being transferred from Somang Hospital in Eumseong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do to a hospital in Seoul was found near Cheongju, Chungbuk, and the police arrested and secured the individual. It was previously reported that the confirmed patient unfastened the seatbelt and fled during the transfer in a negative pressure facility.

On the 20th (local time), the Sangdang Police Station in Cheongju, Chungbuk announced that around 1 p.m., a COVID-19 patient who escaped from the National Mental Health Center was found near Cheongju around 3 p.m., and the police secured the individual. According to the police and fire authorities, the patient was wearing a patient gown from Somang Hospital in Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk, and escaped while being transferred to the National Mental Health Center in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul around 1 p.m. that day.

The patient was being transferred in an ambulance equipped with a negative pressure system. After the ambulance arrived at the National Mental Health Center, the accompanying personnel briefly stepped out to complete the admission procedures, during which the patient unfastened the seatbelt, got out, and fled by taxi. The escaped individual, referred to as Mr. A, did not have a mobile phone, and Somang Hospital contacted Mr. A’s family immediately after the incident.

The police checked whether closed-circuit television (CCTV) was installed near the hospital and deployed patrol officers in the vicinity. After tracking Mr. A, they succeeded in securing the individual.