7 police officers mobilized for mass rally tested positive

At least seven police officers who were dispatched to a mass rally on Aug. 15 tested positive for the novel coronavirus as of Monday amid a slew of cases across the country that have been linked to the event.

Two more officers were confirmed to have contracted the virus on the weekend, raising the total to seven, according to the National Police Agency on Monday. All seven people who tested positive work for the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

The officers were among 9,536 police who underwent COVID-19 testing after they were deployed to ensure order as anti-government protesters marched through Gwanghwamun and through Gyeongbokgung Station in central Seoul on Aug. 15.

The number of cases is expected to increase, as more officers are awaiting the results of tests conducted between Aug. 18 and Aug. 21.

“Another four officers who work at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency are waiting for the results of their retests as their first tests showed ambiguous outcomes,” a National Police Agency officer said.

As of Sunday at noon, the number of cases tied to the rally stood at 136. It is thought that protesters who came to Seoul for the rally from across the country and went back home transmitted the coronavirus to others.

The exact number of people who attended the protest hasn’t been confirmed, but the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Saturday secured the contact details of 10,000 people who had been near the site and recommended that they get tested.

(hnpark@heraldcorp.com)