All 12 Additional Confirmed Omicron Cases Linked to Incheon Church... "Up to 4th Transmission Occurred" (Comprehensive)

The first confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) Omicron variant have occurred in Seoul. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 7th, three foreign students attending Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Kyung Hee University, and Seoul National University were found to be infected with the Omicron variant. Hankuk University of Foreign Studies will operate facilities such as libraries included in the students' movement paths on a limited basis until the 11th and will switch all classes to online format until the 14th. The photo shows the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies campus on that day. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] Among the 12 additional domestic COVID-19 Omicron variant cases, 9, excluding 3 overseas arrivals, have been confirmed to be related to a church in Michuhol-gu, Incheon.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 7th, among the newly confirmed Omicron variant cases, 3 foreign students attending universities in Seoul, 3 church members, 1 family member and 1 acquaintance of a church member, and 1 family member of a person who had contact at a restaurant with a previously confirmed case?all 9 are related to the church in Michuhol-gu, Incheon.

The Disease Control Headquarters confirmed that 3 foreign students attending Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Kyung Hee University, and Seoul National University had visited the church, and the restaurant contact infection case was also a church member confirmed with the Omicron variant who transmitted the infection.

The 3 overseas arrivals confirmed with Omicron infection during quarantine arrived from South Africa on the 3rd and were diagnosed with COVID-19 and the Omicron variant on the 4th. Their age groups are one in their 40s, one in their 20s, and one in their teens, all unvaccinated.

Accordingly, the total number of domestic Omicron variant infections increased by 12 from 24 the previous day to 36.

The number of COVID-19 confirmed cases suspected of being the Omicron variant also increased by 6 to a total of 7. All are church members in Incheon or their family and acquaintances, and the health authorities are analyzing whether they are infected with the Omicron variant. As of midnight on this day, the Disease Control Headquarters classified a total of 43 people as epidemiologically related cases to the Omicron variant, including 36 confirmed cases and 7 suspected cases, an increase of 9 from the previous day.

Park Young-jun, head of the epidemiological investigation team at the Disease Control Headquarters, said, "It has been identified that the fourth transmission occurred among confirmed Omicron infections until the previous day," and explained, "There are four clusters: the church-related cluster after the couple’s arrival in Incheon, the group of arrivals in Gyeonggi Province with no additional confirmed cases, two arrivals on the 1st, and three arrivals on the 3rd."