Anchor: Authorities in the central province of North Chungcheong are alarmed by a recent series of COVID-19 clusters involving foreign laborers, most of whom share close living quarters. In the latest cluster, 15 people linked to a glass-making company have tested positive.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: Fifteen more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in connection to a glass manufacturing company in the central North Chungcheong county of Eumseong.

According to the provincial and county governments, the fourteen foreigners and one Korean national were confirmed early Friday after all of the company's 126 workers were tested following two initial cases involving foreign employees on Thursday.

All of the company's 20 or so migrant workers and some Korean workers have lived in dormitories provided by their employer.

While the initial route of infection remains unknown, authorities suspect the cluster rose from the group living arrangement.

There have been a series of group infections involving foreign employees of businesses operating in North Chungcheong Province since last month, and in most cases the patients live in groups in a close environment.

In fact, the number of foreign nationals infected with the virus in the province over the first two months of the year has risen to 114, more than double the 56 cases reported for all of last year.

The provincial government has decided to conduct testing of all 13-thousand-700 foreign workers in the province by March 15.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.