People crowding at the Incheon screening clinic. The photo is not directly related to any specific expression in the article. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Among the pastor couple at a church in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, who were the first confirmed cases of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron in South Korea, the wife has been reported to the police. This was due to her giving false statements during the epidemiological investigation, which contributed to the spread of the cluster infection.
Michuhol-gu, Incheon, announced on the 9th that it reported Mrs. B, the wife of Pastor A in his 40s, to the Michuhol Police Station on charges of violating the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act.
The couple, Mr. and Mrs. A, tested positive for COVID-19 on the 25th, the day after returning from Nigeria on the 24th of last month. Subsequently, on the 1st, it was confirmed that they were infected with the Omicron variant, the first such case in the country.
Michuhol-gu conducted the epidemiological investigation targeting Mrs. B, as her husband was not fluent in Korean. During this process, Mrs. B gave a false statement, saying, "We took a quarantine taxi from the airport to our home."
Because of this, Mr. C, who actually gave the couple a ride from the airport, was excluded from the list of close contacts and roamed the community for several days before testing positive for COVID-19, leading to the spread of the Omicron variant.
As new cases of the COVID-19 variant 'Omicron variant' continue to emerge in South Korea, citizens are lined up waiting to get tested at the screening clinic of Michuhol-gu Public Health Center in Michuhol-gu, Incheon. 2021.12.6 Photo by Yonhap News
As of midnight on that day, there were 48 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Incheon related to the Michuhol-gu church attended by the couple, of which 40 were confirmed to be infected with the Omicron variant. Among the total 60 confirmed Omicron cases nationwide, 66.7% (40 cases) were from the Incheon area.
An official from Michuhol-gu stated, "Because Mrs. B gave false statements during the epidemiological investigation, the epidemiological investigation and quarantine measures for close contacts could not be properly conducted, which led to the spread of COVID-19."
The Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act stipulates that providing false statements or submitting false materials during an epidemiological investigation is punishable by imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 20 million won.
Meanwhile, the couple, Mr. and Mrs. A, were hospitalized and treated at a medical institution in Incheon and were discharged on the 6th after two consecutive negative results from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
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