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| The entrance of a funeral hall in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, is locked, Tuesday, after a COVID-19 patient who lives in Busan visited there. / Yonhap |
By Jun Ji-hye
Suncheon City in South Jeolla Province has decided to file a lawsuit to exercise its right to indemnity against Busan's Buk-gu and a COVID-19 patient living there, claiming Busan's bungled management of the patient has caused both material and psychological damage to Suncheon residents, according to Suncheon officials Wednesday.
It would mark the first legal battle between local governments regarding the right to indemnity.
The city government of Suncheon said some 200 residents have had to go through coronavirus testing after a Busan resident in his 60s, who had come into close contact with a virus patient in the port city and thus was ordered to self-isolate for two weeks, visited the city.
Suncheon said a public health center in Busan's Buk-gu failed to properly manage and supervise the man in self-isolation, and did not notify Suncheon of the fact that the man was visiting the city.
The man stayed in Suncheon from Sept. 16 to 19 to attend the funeral of a family member.
He was ordered by the Buk-gu public health center to self-isolate for two weeks on Sept. 17 after it was confirmed that he had come into close contact with a virus patient at a restaurant in Busan on Sept. 6.
Even after being ordered into self-quarantine, the man participated in the three-day memorial service, the Suncheon city government said, noting that the Buk-gu public health center did not notify Suncheon, either.
The man tested positive for the virus on Sept. 21 after returning to Busan, which landed Suncheon officials in a rush to check who may have come into contact with the man while he was visiting the city.
"The man and Buk-gu Office will also have to take responsibility for our 280,000 residents terrified by the risk of infection," an official from the Suncheon city government said.
The exact amount of indemnity will be concluded after combining the cost of virus testing on about 200 residents and personnel expenses incurred by city officials working on emergency duty.
In response, Buk-gu Office claimed it was not aware that the man was staying in Suncheon as he pretended to be at home when a local authority made a phone call.
"We will file a complaint against the man for violating self-isolation rules," an official from Buk-gu Office said.
