Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip and seven other officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare have gone into self-quarantine for two weeks after coming into contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19.

Kim and the other officials attended a meeting with hospital chiefs at a restaurant in central Seoul last Friday. One of the attendees, the chief of Bundang Jesaeng Hospital, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

Accordingly, the vice minister and others announced Wednesday that they would go into self-quarantine in accordance with health authority directives. None of them have been tested as they have yet to show symptoms of the virus.

The officials did not use masks at the meeting that lasted over an hour. According to a health authority official, public guidelines call on only people showing symptoms such as fever or a cough to wear masks.

The chief of Bundang Jesaeng Hospital began suffering headaches from last Wednesday or Thursday and a cough and runny nose from Monday. Authorities believe he was infected around last Thursday.