Chungha was confirmed to have the Coronavirus on December 7, but with her announcement, came many rumors about her case, especially given her post on her fancafe. Things got worse when it was revealed that multiple idols were tied back to Chungha, including gugudan‘s Mina, WJSN‘s Yeonjung, DIA‘s Chaeyeon, and TWICE‘s Sana.
Dispatch investigated the case, as multiple idols were together, causing an emergency situation in the entertainment industry again. At the center of the criticism was Chungha, whose fancafe post did not help her situation at the time.
Fan: Our Unnie is here ~~~ What did you do today?!
Chungha: Today?! It’s been scary recently so if I don’t have a schedule, I’m at home!????
This message was posted at 12:36 am on December 7, just hours before Chungha’s positive diagnosis. Chungha faced some unwarranted criticism due to this post. She volunteered to be tested after learning about the positive case at the sports center she was visiting for her shoulder rehabilitation. She was not considered a close contact to the positive case. Her test result came out as negative, and she was relieved.
But then the situation changed in a complete reversal. Her negative diagnosis changed to positive. She was criticized for being the center cause of the Coronavirus scare within girl groups. Dispatch organized the timeline of events connected to Chungha’s positive diagnosis.
December 2: Chungha visits “A” sports center
December 4, evening: Gathering for gugudan Mina’s birthday party at Mina’s house – Chungha, gugudan’s Mina, DIA’s Chayeon, WJSN’s Yeonjung
December 4, night: Separate gathering at Chungha’s house – Chungha, WJSN’s Yeonjung, TWICE’s Sana
December 5: Positive case at “A” sports center is confirmed.
December 6, 8:30 am: Chungha voluntarily takes a Coronavirus test.
December 6, 7:34 pm: Chungha’s manager and staff confirmed negative.
December 6, 7:46 pm: Chungha receives a negative test result.
December 7, 12:36 am: Chungha posts on her fancafe that she is staying home.
December 7, 9:30 am: Chungha’s test result changes to positive.
During the gathering at Mina’s house, the four Produce 101 and former I.O.I members blew out candles to celebrate Mina’s birthday and ordered tteokbokki to be delivered to the house. The gathering only lasted about one hour, before Chungha and Yeonjung went to Chungha’s house, where they met with TWICE’s Sana.
On December 6, following the news of the positive case at the sports center where Chungha was getting rehabilitation for her shoulder, it was determined that the employee who tested positive was not Chungha’s therapist, but she and her staff voluntarily got tested in consideration of her future schedules. As they were not considered close contacts, they had to pay out of pocket for the tests, spending ₩180,000 KRW ($166 USD).
Since Chungha’s manager and staff received their text message with their negative diagnosis first, they were concerned about not having Chungha’s result as well. They called the emergency center where they received the test to inquire, and 12 minutes later, they received the message stating Chungha’s negative diagnosis via PCR testing.
Due to the negative result, Chungha took to her fancafe to chat with some fans. But hours later, the health center called her and reversed the result, telling her she was positive for Coronavirus. The mistake came from a computer error in the emergency room. MNH Entertainment asked for the public’s understanding, given the situation.
We know how hard it is for the medical staff right now. We don’t think it’s right to blame them for the error. However, please refrain from spreading malicious rumors such as ‘Chungha went around even after being tested for Coronavirus’ and ‘She was hiding her positive result and meeting people’.
— MNH Entertainment
As soon as she was notified of her positive diagnosis, she told all of her friends about it, which led to the flurry of tests done by all of the idols she was in contact with. Currently, she is hospitalized and receiving treatment at a Coronavirus care facility within a hospital. Chungha also released a statement apologizing for the situation.
