South Korea monitors mobile data in a bid to trace nightlife cluster
South Korean authorities said on Tuesday they were using mobile phone data to trace Seoul nightclub visitors as they try to tackle a coronavirus cluster, promising anonymity to those being tested due to the stigma surrounding homosexuality.
The country has been held up as a global model in how to curb the virus, but a spike of new cases, driven by the cluster in venues in Seoul’s Itaewon district —including several gay clubs — forced authorities to delay this week’s planned re-opening of schools.
Many nightclub customers are believed to be reluctant to come forward because of the stigma surrounding homosexuality in the socially conservative country. Seoul, as well as its neighbouring Gyeonggi province and the nearby city of Incheon, and the southern city of Daegu, have ordered the closure of all clubs and bars.
South Korea’s handling of the initial outbreak was widely praised, and how it deals with this latest spike will be closely watched as parts of Europe begin a cautious reopening, where health experts are warning that moving too quickly will result in a surge in infection numbers.
Officials in the east Asian nation of 52 million announced 27 new cases Tuesday, taking its total to 10,936, after recording only single-digit increases for eight of the preceding 13 days -many of them overseas arrivals.
As of noon Tuesday, 102 cases had been linked to the Itaewon cluster, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, up 16 in 24 hours, and most were men in their 20s and 30s. The city government of Seoul secured a list of 10,905 people who visited the district through data provided by mobile operators and has sent text messages asking them to get tested, said Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.