Gyeonggi Province: "Residents Should Get Tested Regardless of Symptoms If Your Movements Overlap With Confirmed Cases from Buchen Raon Party"

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] Gyeonggi Province urged residents who visited Buchen Raon Party, Coupang Logistics Center, and Daeyang Hot Spring Land to receive rapid testing if their movements overlap with confirmed cases, regardless of whether they have symptoms.

Lee Hee-young, Co-Director of Gyeonggi Province's COVID-19 Emergency Task Force (Professor, Public Healthcare Business Division, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital), announced this during a regular briefing on the 27th, stating, "The cluster infection that began at the Itaewon Club has not expanded into a large-scale cluster outbreak, but sporadic chain infections continuing into the broader community are ongoing."

As of 12:00 AM on the 27th, the total number of confirmed cases in the province related to the Itaewon Club remained 59, the same as the previous day, with 20 confirmed cases being club visitors, 30 community transmission cases from family members, acquaintances, and colleagues, and 9 cases related to Buchen Raon Party.

Regarding the Raon Party, a student of an Incheon hagwon (private school) instructor who visited the Itaewon Club became infected and visited a coin karaoke room. A taxi driver who became infected after visiting this venue attended a one-year-old's birthday party at Buchen Raon Party as a photographer on May 10, resulting in 8 additional confirmed cases related to the party. One resident of Yongin who visited the restaurant "Illuori" in Seoul's Seongdong-gu on May 13, where a Seoul Gwangjin-gu confirmed case employee worked, also attended the same birthday party on that day, and received an additional confirmed diagnosis on May 25. To date, 505 people have been tested in connection with Buchen Raon Party, with 15 testing positive, 477 testing negative, and 13 tests still in progress.

Coupang Logistics Center in Buchen has also seen additional confirmed cases following the first confirmed case on May 23 of an Incheon resident working at the logistics center. As of 12:00 PM on the 27th, the total number of confirmed cases in the province related to this cluster is 18. Based on the estimated infection sites—the second-floor cafeteria, workplaces, and first-floor smoking area—the province identified 489 contacts, placed 407 under self-quarantine, and is actively monitoring 82. The province plans to conduct full testing of 4,015 workers and visitors at the Buchen Coupang Logistics Center, with 1,822 people (45.4%) having completed testing to date.

A Buchen Fire Department confirmed case visited Buchen Daeyang Hot Spring Land on May 17 and 20, two days before receiving a confirmed diagnosis. The confirmed case was at the facility for approximately 4 hours 30 minutes from 9:03 AM to 1:47 PM on May 17, and for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes from 11:06 AM to 12:41 PM on May 20. Diagnostic testing has been conducted on 465 identified contacts, with 376 testing negative and 89 tests still in progress.

Director Lee urged, "If you visited these venues on the same dates and times as confirmed cases, refrain from going out, and regardless of whether you have symptoms, visit a nearby health center and receive a free diagnostic test as soon as possible."

Gyeonggi Province extended the gathering ban order issued on the 10th for entertainment establishments, lounge bars, and colla clubs within the province until June 7 to prevent cluster infections in the Seoul metropolitan area. Additionally, the province newly implemented a gathering ban order for a total of 2,629 room salons and coin karaoke rooms within the province from May 23 to June 7.
The province continues to conduct inspections on compliance with quarantine measures through joint inspection teams consisting of 35 teams and 624 officials from provincial and municipal governments. To date, on-site inspections have been conducted at 7,462 entertainment establishments, lounge bars, and colla clubs within the province (excluding closures and business type changes), with 13 non-compliant facilities referred for prosecution.

Meanwhile, as of 12:00 AM on the 27th, the number of confirmed cases in Gyeonggi Province reached 774, an increase of 5 compared to 12:00 AM the previous day (11,265 nationwide). Among confirmed cases in Gyeonggi Province, 648 have been discharged, and 107 are currently in isolation at hospitals and community treatment centers. As of 12:00 AM on the 27th, through cooperation with 3 nationally designated hospitalization treatment hospitals, 5 Gyeonggi Province public medical institutions, and 8 general hospitals within the province, 528 treatment beds have been secured at a total of 16 hospitals. Currently, 114 beds (21.6%) are in use.