[ad_1]
SEOUL: South Korea’s capital ordered all clubs and bars closed after an explosion of new cases raised fears of a second wave of coronavirus, and President Moon Jae-in urged the public to remain vigilant.
The nation has presented itself as a global model on how to curb the virus, but Seoul’s mayor’s order on Saturday followed a new group of infection in Itaewon, one of the city’s busiest nightlife districts.
So far, more than 50 cases have been linked to a 29-year-old man, who tested positive after spending time at five clubs and bars in Itaewon last weekend.
“Neglect can lead to an explosion of infections,” said Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, adding that the order will remain in effect indefinitely.
Gyeonggi province, which surrounds Seoul with a population of around 12 million people, also ordered more than 5,700 entertainment facilities to suspend operations for two weeks starting on Sunday.
With about 7,200 people estimated to have visited all five facilities, health officials warned of a further spike in infections and asked those who went to either location to be tested.
Of the 34 new infections reported Sunday, 24 were linked to the Itaewon group, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
“We cannot help but feel sorry for the emergence of the new infection group surrounding Itaewon clubs,” KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong told reporters.
The surge in new infections came as daily life in South Korea was slowly returning to normal, with the government relaxing the rules of social distancing last Wednesday.
President Moon said Sunday that the new group had “raised awareness that even during the stabilization phase, similar situations can arise again at any time.”
‘It has not finished’
“It won’t end until it’s over,” Moon said during a speech on his third anniversary of taking office.
“As long as we maintain an improved alertness to the end, we must never let our guard down regarding epidemic prevention,” he added.
Moon has enjoyed growing public support for his government’s handling of the virus, leading to a landslide victory for his ruling party in last month’s parliamentary elections.
The normally bustling streets of Itaewon were largely empty on Sunday afternoon, with bars and clubs in front of signs saying “temporarily closed for business” or “meeting prevention.”
“I think this incident can happen anywhere, not just in Itaewon,” said Kim Jae-sung, chef at a neighborhood restaurant.
“The most important thing is social distancing, avoiding closed places and being vigilant so that incidents like this do not happen again,” he told AFP.
Lee Seung-wook, a 22-year-old restaurant worker, added: “We hope that customers will be more cooperative when we ask for their names for visitation records as we all need to work together.”
The country suffered one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside of mainland China, and although it never imposed a mandatory blockade, strict social distancing had been observed since March.
But he appears to have controlled his outbreak thanks to an extensive “trace, test, and treat” program that has received high praise.
Facilities like museums and churches have been reopened and some professional sports, such as baseball and soccer, have started new seasons, while schools will reopen from next week. AFP
