As of the 8th, a total of 76 confirmed cases... Most work in the food hall
Symptom checks, mask-wearing inside stores, and compliance with quarantine guidelines
Restrooms, changing rooms, and smoking rooms where employees gather identified as vulnerable points
A temporary closure notice is posted at the Hyundai Department Store Trade Center branch in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where a cluster infection occurred. / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The cluster COVID-19 infections originating from the Hyundai Department Store Trade Center branch in Gangnam-gu, Seoul continue to increase. Authorities and some employees have pointed to 'shared spaces' as the cause of the cluster infections. It is suggested that the virus spread in narrow changing rooms, smoking rooms, restrooms, and other areas used by multiple employees together.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), as of midnight on the 8th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases from the Trade Center branch cluster infection is 76. Among them, 69 have been confirmed as employees, including regular and dispatched staff.
According to quarantine authorities and Hyundai Department Store, most of the 69 positive cases worked in the basement level 1 food court.
Regarding this, KDCA Commissioner Jung Eun-kyung explained the cause of the cluster infection at a regular briefing on the same day, saying, "The outbreak started from the underground food store, and the workers shared common spaces. Environmental factors such as poor ventilation and the difficulty of quickly identifying asymptomatic infections likely acted in combination."
Inside the department store, shared spaces were also pointed out as vulnerable points for quarantine. An employee who worked at the Trade Center branch appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" that morning to explain the working environment of the food court employees.
According to this employee, Hyundai Department Store has been meticulously following quarantine guidelines. Employees report any COVID-19 symptoms before coming to work via messenger, check whether they have recently been in contact with confirmed cases, and then are allowed to enter the store. Wearing masks is mandatory inside the store.
Citizens visiting the screening clinic installed at Gangnam-gu Public Health Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The number of tests at screening clinics in the Gangnam and Songpa areas has significantly increased due to the cluster infection at Hyundai Department Store Trade Center branch. / Photo by Yonhap News
However, shared spaces such as break rooms, changing rooms, and smoking rooms used by multiple employees were found to be vulnerable to the virus. The employee explained, "Employees in the food court area of the Trade Center branch can take off their masks in shared spaces," adding, "The smoking room on the 11th floor has partitions so that one can smoke sitting separately, but there is a central area where people gather and talk while smoking."
Shin Sang-yeop, a former epidemiological investigator and chairman of the Academic Committee at the Korea Medical Research Institute, also presumed shared spaces such as restrooms as the cause of the cluster infection on the same broadcast. Shin stated, "Infections do not easily occur from brief contact in places like smoking rooms," but pointed out, "There is contact infection, which happens when a confirmed case coughs or contaminates shared facilities or items with droplets on their hands."
He continued, "When conducting epidemiological investigations, the place to pay the most attention to is the restroom," explaining, "People take off masks to brush their teeth and gargle, and sometimes touch their noses in the restroom, which can contaminate faucets, tissues, door handles, etc. If the next person touches these, they can be immediately infected."
Meanwhile, as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, Hyundai Department Store decided to temporarily close the Trade Center branch from this day until the 12th.
The department store stated, "In a situation where concerns about the fourth wave of COVID-19 are increasing, we decided this in consultation with quarantine authorities to minimize further spread and comprehensively consider the safety of customers and employees," emphasizing, "We deeply apologize to our customers and will carry out thorough quarantine measures in consultation with the authorities during the temporary closure period."
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