(Breaking) Fourth Confirmed COVID-19 Case in Pyeongtaek City...Woman in Her 20s Residing in Poseung-eup

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] A fourth confirmed COVID-19 case in Pyeongtaek City occurred on the 26th.

The fourth confirmed case is a woman in her 20s residing in Dogok-ri, Poseung-eup, Pyeongtaek City. After undergoing a screening test at Pyeongtaek Park Ae Hospital on the 24th due to cold symptoms, she received a final positive diagnosis on the morning of the 26th. The confirmed case is scheduled to be transferred to Gyeonggi Medical Center Paju Hospital.

The city and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency are currently focusing on epidemiological investigations to identify the exact movement path and contacts of the confirmed case. The city plans to provide rapid updates through SNS and other channels as additional movement routes and contacts are identified.

Meanwhile, test results for family members of the city's third confirmed case and contacts among Songtan Health Center staff have all come back 'negative'. The confirmed case was a staff member at Songtan Health Center.

According to the city on the 26th, a total of 42 close contacts of the third confirmed case in the Pyeongtaek area were identified as of 10 a.m. on the 26th.

Six were transferred to health authorities in other regions, and 36 are being managed by the city. Among them, specimens were collected and tested from five family members of the confirmed case and five staff members who had direct contact from those working together at Songtan Health Center, with all results coming back negative.

The patient was a smoking cessation guidance inspector who visited 66 locations on business, raising concerns about community transmission. According to the epidemiological investigation, the patient rarely entered the interior of the inspection target businesses and mostly conducted external observation work, with some face-to-face contact conducted while constantly wearing a mask, resulting in fewer contacts identified. The city and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency maintain a policy of continuously tracking the source of infection.