South Korea has recorded 34 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, the largest daily figure in a month after a small outbreak arose around so many of the nightclubs visited by a confirmed-positive patient.
Of the new cases, 26 infections were transmitted domestically, and eight cases were imported, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) disclosed.
At least 40 new South Korean coronavirus infections have been related to a 29-year-old man who visited three night clubs in Seoul on May 2, health officials announced on Saturday.
Cases hadn't surpassed 10 since the government allowed night clubs to reopen last weekend, highlighting the possible risks of re-starting those businesses too soon. On Friday an additional 14 people with whom the man had contact with were also infected.
The 29-year old may also have contaminated an estimated 2,000 people after walking around the capital and other nearby provinces, including Gyeonggi and Gangwon, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said, based on a Reuters report.
Over 2,100 night clubs, bars and discos have been closed down in Seoul after hundreds of coronavirus infections were related to club-goers who went out last weekend as the country eased social distance protocols.
The steps introduced Saturday by Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon came after the national government ordered entertainment venues around the nation to close or otherwise set in place anti-virus steps including temperature tests, holding customer lists and forcing staff to wear face masks.
Park said the facilities' entrance bans will be continued until the city determines that contamination levels have been substantially lowered. President Moon Jae-in warned of a second wave of the coronavirus later this year, stressing the recent events highlighted the dangers that the disease, which causes COVID-19, can spread widely again at any moment.
South Korea intended to allow schools to reopen after seeing COVID-19 cases begin to decline, but news from Friday forced those plans back. Now, authorities are recommending night clubs, bars and the like to remain closed until the end of May.
The number of infections could increase with health workers struggling to track club goers' contacts. Park said health workers were trying to contact some 1,940 people who were identified as visitors to the three nearby Itaewon clubs and other venues, but so far they have only been able to reach 637 of them.
South Korea has reported a total of 10,840 coronavirus cases including 256 fatalities. Fewer cases in previous weeks had allowed the relaxation of social distancing guidelines and a staggered reopening of schools.
