New S Korea cluster:
More infection cases linked to nightclubs
SEOUL: South Korean health authorities are investigating a small but growing cluster of coronavirus cases linked to a handful of Seoul nightclubs, at a time when the country is moving to less restrictive social distancing measures.
At least 15 cases have been identified with connections to clubs in Itaewon, a neighbourhood popular with Koreans and foreigners in the capital, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said yesterday.
South Korea has reported only a handful of cases in recent days, the majority of them in people arriving from overseas. But, the nightclub infections, while still limited, are expected to increase.
“These venues have all the dangerous conditions that we were the most concerned about,” KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong said yesterday, referring to crowding and ventilation issues.
“We think it’s necessary to strengthen management for such facilities and we urge you to refrain from visiting such facilities as much as possible.”
Because of the new cluster, the government plans to issue an administrative order asking entertainment venues such as nightclubs and bars to voluntarily suspend operations for at least one more month, Yoon Taeho, director-general for public health policy, announced yesterday.
If these businesses opt to stay open, they should more closely comply with prevention and infection guidelines, Mr Yoon added.
All entertainment facilities currently have to conform to rules such as mandatory wearing of masks by all customers, maintaining at least 1 metre distance between people, and registering the names of everyone who visits.
Seoul city officials say they have a list of about 1,500 people who have visited the clubs, and more cases have been confirmed in other cities where the patients lived or travelled. Authorities have asked anyone who visited the clubs over the weekend to self isolate for 14 days and be tested.
The cluster of infections also raised controversy over the possible unintended side effects of South Korea’s invasive tracing and wide public disclosure of some patient information.
When several local media outlets identified the nightclubs as “gay clubs”, it sparked criticism the disclosures and media coverage could lead to discrimination against members of the gay community.