Mokpo City Health Center Team Leader Tests Positive for COVID-19, Vaccination 'Emergency'

32 Employees Self-Quarantined for 2 Weeks... Concerns Over Vaccine Rollout Disruption

Mokpo City: "We Will Arrange Replacement Staff for Those in Self-Quarantine"

Mokpo-si Hadang Health Center exterior / ? Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] In Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, an emergency has arisen in COVID-19 vaccination as the head of a health center team tested positive for the novel coronavirus just before vaccination.

According to Mokpo City on the 26th, the head of Team A at Hadang Branch of Mokpo City Health Center was confirmed positive for COVID-19 and classified as Jeonnam case number 853.

After Team A's head tested positive, Mokpo City temporarily closed the Hadang Health Branch and conducted diagnostic tests on 135 contacts including employees.

In particular, 32 people including 19 Hadang Branch employees and 13 main office employees who had contact with Team A's head were placed under a two-week self-quarantine, raising concerns about disruptions to vaccination.

The primary vaccination targets in the Mokpo area are about 70 people including workers at nursing facilities, but smooth progress is expected to be difficult due to the self-quarantine of health center staff managing the vaccination.

A Mokpo City official stated, “There are no personnel deployed for vaccination today, but we will arrange substitute personnel for those who have entered self-quarantine.”