People exposed to higher infection risks at gyms, bars, cram schools

Officials take the temperature of applicants who came to take an employment exam of the Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) at Myongji College in Seoul, Sunday. / Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

Visitors to gyms, cram schools, bars and other crowded establishments are exposed to higher risk of COVID-19 infections, and their “easygoing attitude” has been leading to a continuous rise in infection clusters in the densely populated capital area, the health authorities warned Sunday.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said 164 patients have been traced to the multi-level marketing company, Richway, as of noon Sunday, up from 153 the previous day. The first case linked to the company ― a man in his 70s ― was confirmed June 2.

Initially, patients traced to Richway were mostly elderly citizens as the company was selling health food supplements, but infections are believed to have occurred for those in their 20s who live a more active life and frequently visit crowded spaces.

A female patient in her 70s, who had contracted the virus after visiting Richway, May 30, has spread the virus to at least 30 people in a commercial real estate agency in Seoul. Among the 30 was a part-time worker there in her 20s.

The young woman then attended a foreign language school in Gangnam District, and spread the virus to at least 14 other attendees.

Among the 14 new cases, a 26-year-old male patient living in Seoul's Jungnang-gu went to a gym, and two more people there, both in their 20s, tested positive on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Another 26-year-old patient living in Jungnang-gu, who was confirmed to have COVID-19, Thursday, went to another gym, the authorities said, noting that they are working to carry out coronavirus testing on about 200 people who used the facility around the time when the patient visited the facilities.

“Amid the prolonged pandemic, some young people have shown an easygoing attitude toward the contagious disease, and this is posing a setback for the government's efforts to stop the spread of the virus in the capital region,” KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Joon-wook said in a briefing.

According to the KCDC, 34 new cases, including 31 local infections, were detected for Saturday, which raised the nation's total to 12,085. The death toll remains at 277.

As virus continues to spread, the country carried out a written test for applicants seeking to become public servants, Saturday, after about three months of delay due to the pandemic.

About 193,000 applicants gathered at 700 test venues across the country. Among those, 138 who showed symptoms associated with the new coronavirus were directed to take the test at separate places.

“We have asked those who took the test at separate places and those who supervised them to monitor their health condition for the next two weeks and report to the health authorities if any symptoms occur,” an official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said.