They try to locate thousands of people to control a new outbreak in South Korea – International



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© Reuters They try to locate thousands of people to control a new outbreak of COVID-19 in South Korea

According to local authorities, they have only been able to contact less than 2,500 people, of the more than 5,000 who visited nightclubs between April 30 and May 5, to carry out their respective virus tests.

South Korean authorities are trying to locate some 3,000 people today who visited nightclubs where a new coronavirus outbreak in Seoul has originated in order to control the spike in cases.

The mayor of the South Korean capital, Park Won-soon, said today in an interview with KBS public radio that the consistory has data from 5,517 people who visited the five affected nightclubs -which registered the names and telephones of everyone who entered- between April 30 and May 5.

However, Park said that only 2,405 have been contacted for the time being to test and isolate themselves, and that it is estimated that 1,982 people were able to give false data as they were establishments linked to the LGTBI community, heavily discriminated against in Korea. from the south.

South Korean authorities have sent SMS messages to all numbers in the country asking that those who visited the five establishments on those dates undergo a PCR test and isolate themselves for 14 days even if they are negative.

“Still, most of those who were there are not reachable. The testing rate (linked to the outbreak) is still less than half, “South Korea Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in statements made by the Yonhap news agency.

Chung stressed the need for all these people to be tested quickly to prevent infections from multiplying in Seoul and its neighboring region, where some 26 million people live, more than half of the country’s population.

Although authorities say they can maintain the confidentiality of those who are going to be tested, many believe that, at a time when this is the only major current outbreak in the entire country, the fact that quarantine is mandatory can let relatives know or coworkers that these people visited the affected premises.

In turn, the authorities weigh the possibility of ending up fining those who were in these bars if they finally do not cooperate.

South Korea, where there has been no confinement and the virus seemed very controlled until last week, today reported 35 new infections – the highest number in a month -, of which 29 correspond to the new outbreak, which in total has caused 85 infections. in different parts of the country.

The capital and the neighboring region ordered this weekend to close bars and nightclubs until further notice.



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