Cases jump again in South Korea, India

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA » South Korea on Thursday reported its biggest jump in coronavirus cases in more than 50 days, a resurgence that health officials warn is getting harder to track and risks erasing some of the nation’s hard-won gains.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 67 of the 79 new cases reported were from the Seoul metropolitan area, where about half of South Korea’s 51 million people live.

Following an emergency meeting, the government decided to shut public facilities such as parks, museums and state-run theaters in the metropolitan area over the next two weeks to slow the spread of the virus.

Officials also advised private tutorial schools and computer gaming lounges in the area to close during the period or otherwise enforce antivirus measures.

“The two weeks from now will be crucial in containing infections,” said Health Minister Park Neung-hoo, who called for residents in the metropolitan area to avoid unnecessary gatherings and urged companies to keep sick employees off work.

At least 82 infections so far have been linked to workers at a massive warehouse operated by local e-commerce giant Coupang. Health authorities planned to finish testing more than 4,000 workers and visitors to the warehouse later Thursday.

Hundreds of other infections have been linked to nightclubs and other entertainment venues, which saw huge crowds in early May after officials relaxed social distancing guidelines.