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Health authorities confirmed 13 more COVID-19 cases Friday that were traced to a patient who had gone clubbing in Itaewon last weekend, sparking concerns over another cluster infection.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said 13 more people who came into contact with the patient tested positive earlier in the day. It noted that one was the patient's work colleague and the other 12, including three foreign nationals and one soldier, had come into contact with the patient at nightclubs in the popular nightlife district.
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| Citizens pass by a notice of guidelines that entertainment facilities should follow, posted at the entrance of a nightclub in Itaewon, Seoul, Friday. The nightclub was shut down after it was visited by a COVID-19 patient. Yonhap |
The confirmation of the 29-year-old's infection marked the first local case in four days, which was reported at a time when the situation here showed clear signs of a slowdown, with most new infections over the past week having been "imported" ones.
The authorities are on high alert as the number of infections linked to the patient is feared to rise further, considering the patient visited five nightclubs and bars in Itaewon from Friday night to the early hours of Saturday last week.
The authorities estimated that at least 1,510 people had visited the same establishments, but noted that the number would be not accurate due to possible errors in the entry logs.
"It is highly likely that additional patients will emerge," Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said in a media briefing. "Mindful of concerns that the case can lead to community transmission, health authorities and local governments are cooperating to control the situation."
Kim asked citizens whose movements overlapped those of the 29-year-old to stay indoors and check their health conditions. Disclosed details of the patient's movements show that he visited King Club between midnight and 3:30 a.m., Trunk Club between 1 a.m. and 1:40 a.m. and Club Queen between 3:30 a.m. and 3:50 a.m.
The government issued administrative orders later in the day for nightclubs and other entertainment facilities across the nation, asking them to refrain from operating for a month, starting from 8 p.m. Friday.
In a separate briefing, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said, "We are now looking into the entry logs of the nightclubs, but they are inaccurate. We believe there are more visitors who were not listed in the entry logs," Park said.
The KCDC said it detected 12 new cases on Thursday, which brought the nation's total infections to 10,822. The death toll remained unchanged at 256.
The latest 13 cases detected Friday were not included in the total number as it was an emergency announcement aimed at delivering information promptly to citizens amid concerns over another cluster infection, at a time when the government had been loosening its guidelines on social distancing starting Wednesday.
