40 Gwangju Public Officials Under Welfare Ministry Agency Confirmed Contact Cases...Concerns Over Community Spread

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] After an employee of a Ministry of Health and Welfare-affiliated agency who visited Seo-gu and Buk-gu in Gwangju for work tested positive for COVID-19, the respective district offices began identifying contacts and conducting diagnostic tests. The number of district office officials who had direct or indirect contact with the employee reached 40, raising concerns about community spread.

According to Seo-gu and Buk-gu in Gwangju on the 8th, employee A (Gyeonggi Anyang case number 1144) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare-affiliated agency visited the administrative welfare centers in Pungam-dong, Seo-gu, and Duam 3-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju on the 5th.

A visited Gwangju to attend an on-site meeting related to the Ministry's case management policy promotion work. It was reported that A did not speak during the meeting and only observed before leaving.

The day after attending the meeting, on the 6th, A’s family member tested positive, prompting A to undergo testing, which confirmed infection.

Upon learning of A’s positive diagnosis, Seo-gu and Buk-gu identified contacts, conducted diagnostic tests, and temporarily closed the respective administrative welfare centers.

The number of people who had direct or indirect contact with A was 19 in Seo-gu and 21 in Buk-gu, totaling 40, all of whom were investigated as work-related contacts.

All those tested in Seo-gu received negative results, but seven individuals classified as close contacts were placed under self-quarantine despite testing negative. Buk-gu is awaiting diagnostic test results.