Gyeonggi Province Urges Restraint on Small Gatherings as Family and Close Contact Transmissions Spread Amid COVID-19

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] Gyeonggi Province urged restraint on small gatherings, noting that COVID-19 infections from small-scale gatherings are spreading to families and close contacts.

Lee Hee-young, co-head of Gyeonggi Province's COVID-19 Emergency Response Task Force, held a regular press conference on the 9th and said, "While new confirmed cases of COVID-19 are gradually decreasing, small-scale cluster infections are occurring sporadically across the province, so we are still not at a stage where we can feel assured," delivering the message.

As of 0:00 on the 9th, the number of confirmed cases in Gyeonggi Province increased by 55 from 0:00 the previous day to a total of 3,742, with confirmed cases occurring in 18 cities and counties across the province.
The infection routes of the 55 new confirmed cases include 8 related to family/close contacts in Ansan, 2 from online mountain hiking club meetings, 1 from Yeongdeungpo Gwonneng Church, and 1 from a family gathering in Bucheon, with 4 cases related to overseas imports. Among the new confirmed cases, 16 patients (29.1%) have unknown infection routes, and 15 patients aged 60 and older account for 27.3%.

A Ansan resident developed symptoms including fever on the 2nd and received confirmation on the 4th. This confirmed patient was confirmed to have traveled to Gapyeong with acquaintances on the 30th of last month. Subsequently, 3 people who accompanied the trip tested positive on the 5th and 6th, and 9 family members and acquaintances tested positive, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 13.

Regarding the online mountain hiking club meeting in the Seoul metropolitan area, following the first confirmed case among members on the 3rd, 11 participants who held mountain club meetings at parks and restaurants from the 29th to 30th of last month and on the 1st of this month tested positive consecutively. The cumulative number of confirmed cases is 12, including Seoul, with 10 cases in Gyeonggi Province. The province is conducting tests on 32 people who attended the mountain club meeting on the same date and is conducting in-depth epidemiological investigations.

One additional confirmed case related to Yeongdeungpo Gwonneng Church was reported on the 8th, bringing the cumulative number to 23 cases. The additional confirmed case is presumed to have been infected through contact with a child of the already-confirmed church member and was confirmed while in self-isolation.

For the Bucheon family gathering-related confirmed cases, 1 additional confirmed case occurred on the 8th, bringing the cumulative total to 15 cases. This confirmed patient was in self-isolation due to contact with a previously confirmed person and tested positive after developing symptoms including loss of taste on the 7th.

As of 0:00 on the 9th, no additional confirmed cases related to Seongbuk-gu Sarang Jeil Church and the Gwanghwamun gathering were reported. For the Gwanghwamun gathering, testing was conducted on 8,986 out of 14,505 people targeted for testing, with 81 testing positive, showing a positive rate of approximately 0.9%.

As of 0:00 on the 9th, Gyeonggi Province has secured 605 confirmed patient treatment beds at 15 hospitals, with 486 beds (80.3%) currently in use. Additionally, with the increase in confirmed cases, the Korea Armed Forces Capital Hospital has been designated as an infectious disease management facility from the 7th, with 40 additional beds to be secured and patients assigned. A total of 51 designated infectious disease management facilities in the province include Gyeonggi Province Medical Center and private hospitals.

Four community treatment centers—Gyeonggi Metropolitan Area 2 Community Treatment Center and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Community Treatment Centers—had 492 people checked in as of 18:00 on the 8th, showing an operating rate of 49.6%, with a remaining capacity of 500 people.