Published
Sat, May 9, 2020, 21:20
- A 29-year-old patient who visited a club in the city's Itaewon neighborhood was linked to 17 new COVID-19 cases.
South Korea, which had relaxed social-distancing guidelines Wednesday after effectively stamping out COVID-19, will close all nightlife establishments after a spike in infections.
The country, which was previously reporting single-digit infection rates due to effective contact tracing and testing, is now reporting 40 new coronavirus cases in Seoul, said Mayor Park Won-soon on Saturday. Many of these cases are linked to nightclubs in Seoul's Itaewon district, where some clubs reopened the weekend of April 24th with social-distancing measures like reduced capacity and required masks.
According to health authorities, at least 1,500 people visited affected clubs, including King Club, Trunk Club and Club Queen (Yonhap News Agency), last weekend. Many cases stemmed from a 29-year-old clubber with coronavirus who visited five clubs and bars. On Saturday, the country reported 18 new cases Saturday with 17 linked to the individual.