Pohang City Reports 6 New COVID-19 Cases on 27th: 2 Mandatory Tests, 3 Linked to Bathhouse

The remaining one person has an unidentified infection route

On the 27th, citizens lined up in a long queue at the screening clinic set up in front of the City Hall in Daejam-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang-si, Gyeongbuk, to get tested for COVID-19. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] On the 27th, six new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Pohang area, where an administrative order for 'at least one test per household' was issued.

Among the six new confirmed cases that day, two (cases 404 and 405) were tested and confirmed positive under the 'Diagnostic Testing Administrative Order' issued on the 25th.

Cases 402 and 403, residents of Buk-gu, were tested and confirmed positive after overlapping movements with cases 393 and 401 of Pohang, who are part of the 'Pohang 360' chain infection linked to a bathhouse visit following a gathering.

Case 407, a resident of Nam-gu, is a contact of case 352 of Pohang (a user of Buseong Bathhouse in Jukdo-dong). The infection route of the remaining case 404 is still unknown.

Meanwhile, Pohang City announced on the 27th that the period for 'at least one diagnostic test per household' will be extended from the end of this month to February 3. In addition to the existing 20 screening clinics, five general hospitals have been added as diagnostic testing locations.

Following the depletion of diagnostic kits at screening clinics on the first day of testing, and with scenes of long queues at testing sites on the 27th where 'a two-hour wait is standard,' criticism is growing that forced testing was conducted without thorough prior preparation.