16 Confirmed Cases at Seoul Gwangmun High School... 1 Additional Student Athlete (Comprehensive)

15 Student Athletes and 1 General Student Confirmed Positive

As the third wave of COVID-19 continues in South Korea, citizens are undergoing diagnostic tests at the temporary screening clinic at Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 28th. As of midnight on that day, the number of new confirmed cases was recorded at 356. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] At Gwangmun High School in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, a cluster infection occurred in the soccer club, increasing the number of confirmed cases to 16.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the 8th, after one student was confirmed positive on the 5th at Gwangmun High School, 8 more were confirmed on the 6th, 6 on the 7th, and 1 on the 8th. A total of 16 people were confirmed positive, including 15 student athletes and 1 general student.

Seoul City has completed testing for all 1,052 students. 1,033 tested negative, and 3 are awaiting test results.

According to epidemiological investigations, the confirmed cases spent long hours exercising, lodging, and dining together after the school reopened, and transmission is believed to have occurred as multiple people stayed together in the dormitory where lodging and meals took place.

A total of 31 people, including 27 students and 4 coaches, lived in the shared dormitory of the soccer club. At Gwangmun High School, the sports teams were abolished, and players were registered and operated in the form of a soccer club. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to check the status of the soccer club with the Korea Football Association.

Song Euncheol, a quarantine officer at Seoul City, said, "No violations of quarantine rules have been confirmed so far in relation to this school's cluster infection," and added, "We plan to inspect sports teams in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education."

Meanwhile, in Gangdong-gu, confirmed cases have occurred not only at the high school but also at two elementary schools and two middle schools after the school reopened, and contact testing and epidemiological investigations are underway.