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SEOUL (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) – South Korea warned of a second wave of the new coronavirus on Sunday (May 10) as the infections recovered to a maximum of a month, just as authorities began easing some pandemic restrictions.
“It won’t end until it’s over,” President Moon Jae-in told the nation, saying a new group shows the virus can spread widely at any time, and warned of a second wave later this year.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 34 new infections, the highest since April 9, after a small outbreak erupted around a series of nightclubs, prompting authorities to temporarily close all nightly entertainment facilities in the capital.
The death toll remained at 256.
Fighting the first major outbreak of coronavirus outside of China, South Korea caused virus infections and the Covid-19 disease it causes, dramatically decreasing through widespread testing, aggressive tracking and contact tracking applications.
The response has helped Asia’s fourth largest economy cope with the pandemic without extensive blockages seen elsewhere.
The daily count of new infections had hovered around 10 or less in the past few weeks, with very few domestic cases in the past 10 days.
The new outbreak comes just as the government eased some restrictions on social distancing and moved to reopen schools and businesses entirely, in a transition from intensive social distancing to “distancing from everyday life.”
“We must never let our guard down regarding epidemic prevention,” Moon said in a televised speech commemorating the third anniversary of its inauguration. “We are in a protracted war. I ask everyone to abide by safety precautions and regulations until the situation is over, even after resuming daily life.”
He said the KCDC will gain more power as part of the long-term fight and will be renamed the Disease Control and Prevention Administration to reflect its improved position, while authorities reinforce local experience.
The revival is fueled by an outbreak centered on a handful of Seoul nightclubs, which a man in his 20s had visited before testing positive last week.
At least 24 of the 26 new home-transmitted infections were traced back to that man, bringing the case-related infections to 54, the KCDC said.
The KCDC said authorities are tracking some 1,900 people who have gone to the clubs, which could increase to 7,000, asking anyone who was there last week to isolate themselves for 14 days and be tested.
“This case shows once again a rapid spread of the virus, as well as high infectivity,” KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said in a briefing. “We are in a battle against time to prevent further broadcasts in local communities.”
The infection rate is highest for those who visited King Club in Itaewon on May 2, he said, adding that more than 30 percent of confirmed patients are asymptomatic.
“Healthy teens and adults usually make a full recovery without showing many symptoms, but for older people and people with underlying illnesses, it can be fatal,” Jeong told reporters on Sunday. “We would like to remind everyone to think about the impact this can have on people with weaker immune systems.”
Gyeonggi Province, located on the outskirts of Seoul City, ordered those who visited certain clubs in Itaewon and Gangnam between April 29 and May 6 to isolate themselves and avoid any person-to-person contact.
Governor Lee Jae-myung also announced a ban on all “group gatherings” at entertainment facilities, including karaoke clubs and bars.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun pledged to mobilize all available resources to contain further spread of the virus.
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