S.Korean officials test positive for COVID-19 after attending CES trade show in U.S. (updated)

Hyundai Mobis

12/01/2022 05:12

* More than 30 cases among CES attendees -sources, company
    * Samsung, SK, Hyundai Heavy officials test positive
-sources,
company 
    * S.Korea health official urges attendees to take PCR test
    * Nevada says no evidence linking COVID-19 surge with CES

 (Adds health ministry official comments in paragraphs 6, 7 and
15)
    By Joyce Lee and Hyunjoo Jin
    SEOUL/SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 12 (Reuters) - More than 30
officials from major South Korean companies who attended the
giant CES tech trade show in Las Vegas last week tested positive
for COVID-19 while in the United States, industry sources and
one company said on Wednesday. 
    About 20 officials from Samsung Electronics  005930.KS  and
about six at SK Group, parent of energy firm SK Innovation
 096770.KS  and chipmaker SK Hynix  000660.KS , were among those
who tested positive for the virus after attending CES, the
sources said.
    They declined to be identified as they were not authorised
to speak to media.
    Hyundai Heavy Industries  329180.KS  said six of its
employees who attended CES tested positive while in the United
States and were quarantined, and some have been released since. 
    Meanwhile "multiple" Hyundai Motor  005380.KS  and Hyundai
Mobis  012330.KS  officials who attended CES also tested
positive after arriving back in South Korea, South Korean
newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified
industry source without specifying the exact number of cases.
    "Many Korean businesspeople who attended CES ... are now
confirmed to be infected with COVID-19," Son Young-rae, a senior
South Korean health ministry official, said at a briefing. 
    "We are promptly contacting those who participated in the
event and conducting epidemiological investigations, but we urge
domestic businesspeople or those who are in Korea that attended
the event to undergo PCR tests as soon as possible," he said. 
    Most of the Samsung officials who tested positive have were
flown back to Korea from Nevada in two chartered flights,
arriving late on Tuesday Seoul time, and the remaining Samsung
officials are expected to be flown back on Wednesday, South
Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported, citing unidentified
industry sources.
    The Samsung officials are being moved to quarantine
facilities in South Korea and most were asymptomatic or have
light symptoms, the paper said.
    A spokesperson for Consumer Technology Association (CTA),
CES' operator, did not have an immediate response. 
    Nevada state health authorities said, "Many new cases have
had recent travel history, attended events, and have visited
multiple locations where they could potentially have acquired
their infection." They said they do "not have evidence linking
the recent surge in COVID-19 cases with CES." 
    Samsung Electronics declined to confirm details of the
cases. It said it "took a number of steps to protect the health
and well-being of (CES) attendees", including requiring
vaccines, mask mandates, social distancing protocols and
providing testing for all employees throughout the week. 
    SK Group declined to confirm, citing its policy of not
disclosing personal information. Hyundai Motor Group did not
respond to multiple requests for comment. 
    South Korea reported 381 cases of infections contracted
overseas for Tuesday, a record, according to the Korea Disease
Control and Prevention Agency, bringing the daily number of
infections across the country to 4,388. 
    Health ministry official Son said the rise of infections
contracted overseas is seen mainly due to the spread of the
Omicron variant, although the number of CES attendees who tested
positive did have some effect. 
    

 (Reporting by Joyce Lee and Heekyong Yang in Seoul and Hyunjoo
Jin in San Francisco; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
 ((joyce.lee@tr.com;))