The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Seoul’s COVID-19 total reaches 231; efforts underway to track cases from call center

By Choi He-suk

Published : March 13, 2020 - 16:54

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Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon holds a briefing on Friday. Yonhap Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon holds a briefing on Friday. Yonhap

The number of COVID-19 patients in Seoul stood at 231 as of 10 a.m. Friday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said, up 12 from the previous day.

The number is six more than the 225 stated by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The KCDC tallies the numbers up to midnight and releases them at 10 a.m.

According to Seoul City, 191 of the 231 patients are currently in isolation and 40 have been released after being cleared of the virus.

Those linked to a call center in Guro-gu in southwestern Seoul accounted for the largest proportion of Seoul’s COVID-19 cases, with 74 patients being call center employees or those who came in contact with them. The overall number of cases linked to the call center, including residents of Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, stands at 109.

The Seoul City government has so far tested 1,027 of 1,092 people who work at the building where the call center is located.

“The city has nearly completed testing workers and residents of the building. Most of the confirmed cases are from the call center on the 11th floor, analysis of their movements is nearly complete and (the city is) checking those who came into contact with them,” Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said.

Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)