South Korea has been doing great in preventing large groups of coronavirus infections in the country. However, Sunday marked a shocking turnaround as new cases surged in Itaewon.
South Korea Reports 34 New Cases
For the first time since April 9, South Korea logged 34 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday, marking the largest single-day jump in new cases for a month, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
According to health authorities, the resurgence in new infections came after a 29-year-old patient was found to have bar-hopped to five different clubs in the multicultural center of Itaewon on the evening of May 1.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has since called on people who were in the clubs in question from May 1 to go on self-isolation as a precaution. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has also ordered contact tracing on around 1,510 people who may have dropped by the same bars where the cluster patient had been.
Itaewon becomes Ghost Town
Itaewon's streets used to be full of energy since last week, after the South Korean government decided to relax some social distancing and preventive restrictions on the public.
However, things took a big turn over the weekend, as the town's neighborhood streets looked largely abandoned on Saturday evening. Signs were also seen in front of bars and clubs stating that they were "temporarily closed."
Following the Itaewon patient's positive COVID-19 test results, the government ordered all establishments in leading nightlife centers in the area to ban "crowds of people." Even clubs in Gangnam were also shut down as part of the government directive.
Restaurants were not included in the directive but restaurant owners in the area revealed that the absence of people visiting clubs in the town have also impacted business operations.
Tracking the Itaewon Cluster's Patient Zero
On the evening of May 1, patient zero of the Itaewon cluster went around five clubs and bars in the area throughout early morning of the next day.
According to Reuters, the KCDC revealed that the patient also walked around other neighboring provinces, particularly Gangwon and Gyeonggi. The infected patient also went around Seoul, prompting officials to estimate that around 2,000 other people may have been in contact with the patient.
The government has since been calling on people who visited clubs around Itaewon and Gangnam to undergo COVID-19 testing as a precautionary measure to hasten contact tracing.
The man's positive test results came out on May 7 and before the weekend, an additional 14 people have since tested positive. Health officials are expecting the numbers to increase in the coming days as contact tracing intensifies around Itaewon.
South Korea was doing well over the past 10 days in terms of zero or low domestic transmissions. It remains to be seen how the cluster in Itaewon will affect the supposed gradual easing of movement restrictions in the country.
As of Sunday, South Korea has logged a total of 10,874 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 256 deaths from the fast-spreading disease.
