Exclusive City Bus Used by 12th Confirmed Case Visitor to Suwon Remains Unsterilized

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hoon·Seo Dong-young] As the government has recently acknowledged the possibility of asymptomatic transmission of the novel coronavirus, it has been confirmed that information regarding the city bus used by the 12th confirmed case visitor, who visited a relative's home in Suwon on the 24th of last month, remains unclear.

Moreover, it has been confirmed that follow-up measures for the taxi used on the same day were only taken 10 days later, and citizens' anxiety is spreading due to the lack of disclosure of accurate route information and details about transportation methods used.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), Gyeonggi Province, and Suwon City on the 5th, the 12th confirmed case of novel coronavirus infection (a Chinese national) identified on the 1st traveled to not only Bucheon, his residence, but also Seoul, Gangneung in Gangwon Province, and Suwon and Gunpo in Gyeonggi Province over approximately 10 days after his entry into the country, according to the KCDC's announcement. However, unlike Seoul's relatively detailed route disclosure, Suwon has little information other than 'visited a relative's home,' causing concern among Suwon citizens who learned of the news.

A citizen, Park, said, "I was quite taken aback when I first heard the news. Suwon is not just a back alley. I don't know if he drove his own car or used public transportation, and if he did, I should know what means and route he took so I can be more careful in my daily commute," and added, "I later tried to find related information, but there was no way to find it, which was frustrating."

According to this newspaper's investigation, the 12th confirmed case used the subway to arrive at Suwon Station, then took a taxi from Suwon Station to his relative's home in Hwaseo-dong, and afterwards, boarded a city bus from near the relative's home to return to Suwon Station to go to Gunpo. In other words, the transportation methods used within Suwon on the 'Suwon Station-Hwaseo-dong relative's home-Suwon Station' route were a taxi and a city bus.

However, authorities have not yet identified the city bus the 12th confirmed case used. This stands in sharp contrast to the follow-up measures where authorities announced even the specific movie theater seats the confirmed case visited and proceeded with disinfection.

An epidemiological investigator in charge said, "(Epidemiological investigations) sequentially identify areas with far more close contacts. The bus was confirmed to be used for a very short time, so we will take measures as we identify it. It has not been sterilized yet."

In the case of the taxi, it was identified on the 4th, approximately 10 days after the confirmed case's visit, and placed under self-quarantine measures.

A Suwon City official said, "We received notification of the taxi driver yesterday (the 4th) in the afternoon and placed him under self-quarantine." The authorities' policy is to disinfect the taxi itself once the self-quarantine period ends (due to issues such as needing to open the car doors and move around).

A citizen, Kim, who learned of this news, said, "The quarantine authorities will make efforts, but I wish for more meticulous response measures," and added, "I wonder if there are precise standard manuals. If there are, I would appreciate it if they would provide more accurate information in accordance with the standards."