At the Seoul East Detention Center, which completed the 7th total investigation, 13 more were confirmed today (9th), and the cumulative number of confirmed cases at correctional facilities was 1,223. Among these, many prisoners were tested again and tested negative, but the prisoners are being released on bail without knowing the exact cause of the negative test.
Reporter Ahn Hee-jae.
<기자>
Mr. A, who was imprisoned and being tried at the Eastern Detention Center.
After the first coronavirus investigation was over, one more person entered his prison cell, which was full of eight people.
[A 씨/동부구치소 출소자 : 무조건 갖다 밀어 넣었어요. 자기네 방에서 확진자가 나와서 옮기게 됐다고 (이후) 비슷한 시기에 (다들) 증상이 일어났어요.]
As worried, most of the prisoners in the same room were tested positive for corona in the second thorough investigation. Eventually, Mr. A was transferred to Cheongsong Prison on the 28th of last month.
Even then, the corona symptoms continued for a while.
[A 씨/동부구치소 출소자 : 미각 상실, 후각 상실, 두통…. 그렇게 있다가 좀 나아진 거죠.]
He claims that he was virtually neglected even if he complained of headaches and diarrhea.
[A 씨/동부구치소 출소자 : (동부구치소에서보다) 더 버려졌다고 보시면 돼요. 난방도 아예 안 되고, 화장실 물도 다 얼고….]
Then Mr. A obtained bail permit and was released.
When I ran the corona test again, I was released the next day when it was negative.
The Ministry of Justice says there is no problem with the quarantine guidelines.
However, it is pointed out that the Ministry of Justice said it was too irresponsible to say that it was not known whether the reason for the positive test in the eastern detention center and negative test in the Cheongsong prison was natural healing or a test error.
[천은미/이대목동병원 호흡기내과 교수 : 실제 음성 판정을 받아도 남에게 감염시킬 수 있다는 건 우리가 몰라요. 일주일 정도 더 모니터링을 해주는 게 (필요합니다.)]
Mr. A said that he was not given any instructions, such as self-isolation, when he was released.
(Video coverage: Gong Jin-gu, video editing: Lee So-young)