(Yonhap)
The South Korean government remains cautious on additional clusters of the novel coronavirus infections in Seoul and other populous cities, although new infections dropped below 100 for the first time in over three weeks Sunday.
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said the government was considering virus screening on all international arrivals, not just foreign nationals but Koreans returning from overseas.
“It has become pointless to enforce special measures on arrivals from (only) specific countries in a global pandemic situation,” he said during a press brefing Sunday.
Earlier in the day, Korea reported 76 new cases of coronavirus and three more deaths, bringing the nation’s total infections to 8,162 and the death toll to 75, according to health authorities.
Daily new virus cases in the southeastern city of Daegu, at the heart of the country’s virus outbreak, peaked at over 700 on Feb. 29, but fell to 41 on Sunday.
While cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province have been on the wane, a series of group transmissions in postpartum care centers, internet cafes and churches in the metropolitan area has spawned concerns.
According to government data, cases linked to cluster infections account for 80.8 percent. Among them, 61.3 percent were related to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.
Kwon Joon-wook, director of the National Institute of Health attributed the drop in new cases to the completion of testing on Shincheonji followers, and stressed “it is no time to feel relieved.”
“As small-scale transmissions continue mainly in various workplaces, religious facilities, internet cafes and medical institutions in the metropolitan area, we believe that it is important to strengthen preventive management centered on group and multiuse facilities,” Kwon said at a briefing Sunday.
Kwon stressed the importance of social distancing, which he believes could prevent further spread of the virus in the local community.
“If we raise the level of defense to the point where the social distancing of our people can break the chain of transmission, there may not be any further spread in the local community even if it is an influx from overseas or a sporadic occurrence,” he said.
At least 124 cases have been traced to an insurance company’s call center with about 700 workers in Guro-gu, Seoul. Not only those who work at the center, but other tenants of the building also contracted the respiratory virus.
A church attended by a call center employee in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, reported 14 cases, including 13 who took part in the same service and a pastor.
A nursing hospital in Bucheon has been placed under cohort isolation as a 49-year-old nurse assistant at the facility tested positive for the virus on Friday.
The nurse had contacted 182 people, including patients and hospital staff, while working at Bucheon Hanna Nursing Home on Wednesday and Thursday.
Among 164 people, including 142 patients, who were put under group quarantine, 102 people tested negative, while others await test results.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases at a church in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, climbed to six, as a 61-year-old pastor and his wife tested positive Sunday.
Seongnam Mayor Eun Soo-mi urged residents to refrain from attending large worship services for the safety of the community.
In Seoul, a cook at a postpartum care center in Dobong-gu was found to have contracted the virus, leading to a temporary shutdown of the entire building. There was no contact between the infected cook and seven mothers and babies who were at the center.
Meanwhile, President Moon Jae-in designated Daegu, Gyeongsan and the counties of Cheongdo and Bonghwa in North Gyeongsang Province as special disaster zones on Sunday upon request from governors of the respective areas.
The government will investigate the situation and establish a recovery plan to support 50 percent of the recovery cost. Residents’ livelihood and housing stability costs, relief gold for deaths, injuries and others, will be also provided. Reduction benefits on electricity bills, health insurance premiums, communication fees and city gas charges too will be given to the residents.
By Park Han-na (
hnpark@heraldcorp.com)