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Infection cases linked to Itaewon clubs rise to 86

The number of new coronavirus infections connected to bars and clubs in Seoul's popular nightlife district of Itaewon climbed to 86 on Monday, health authorities said. YonhapThe number of new coronavirus infections connected to bars and clubs in Seoul's popular nightlife district of Itaewon climbed to 86 on Monday, health authorities said.The number, put together as of noon, includes 63 club visitors and 23 family members and friends who came in contact with the clubbers, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said during a press briefing.By region, Seoul has reported 51 confirmed cases so far, 21 in Gyeonggi Province, seven in Incheon, five in North Chungcheong Province, one each in Busan and Jeju Island.The new cluster infections underline the challenge of controlling infections after the country started easing social distancing rules and introducing a new daily life with COVID-19.The government warned against a possible rapid growth of cluster infections since the first confirmed case on Wednesday, and urged visitors to the affected establishments to get test

May 11, 2020
Infection cases linked to Itaewon clubs rise to 86

Foreign self-isolation violators face sixfold increase in fine

South Korea is set to enforce a maximum sixfold increase in the monetary penalty for foreign violators of the mandatory self-isolation rule, as part of its reinforced coronavirus-fighting measures, the Ministry of Justice said Monday. YonhapSouth Korea is set to enforce a maximum sixfold increase in the monetary penalty for foreign violators of the mandatory self-isolation rule, as part of its reinforced coronavirus-fighting measures, the Ministry of Justice said Monday.Under the quarantine measures that took effect in early April, all entrants from overseas ― both Koreans and foreigners ― are obliged to self-isolate at their residences or government-designated facilities for 14 days.According to the ministry, any foreigner caught leaving his or her self-isolation place without permission will be slapped with a fine of 3 million won (US$2,460), up sharply from the current 500,000 won, under a revision of the Immigration Act's Enforcement Rules.Making an advance legislation notice for the revised rules, the ministry said they will take effect by the end of this month.The monetary pena

May 11, 2020
Foreign self-isolation violators face sixfold increase in fine

Online applications for virus relief money begin

An online application for the government's emergency coronavirus relief funds to all households began on Monday morning. YonhapAn online application for the government's emergency coronavirus relief funds to all households began on Monday morning.The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said nine local credit card companies started receiving online applications through their websites or mobile phone applications.The application is available, first, for those who wish to receive the financial aid in the forms of credit or debit card points, which is scheduled to arrive two days after the application.For the first week, each applicant can use the online application system only on designated days, depending on the last digit of one's birth year, to prevent the overloading of the web servers. Starting next Monday, people can apply online at any time, and offline visits will be also available. Also applying for other two forms of the aid ― regional gift certificates and prepaid cards ― will be available.Late last month, the National Assembly approved an extra budget bill focused on the pay

May 11, 2020
Online applications for virus relief money begin

Korea at critical juncture for virus containment

South Korea's coronavirus containment capability is again put to the test after successfully controlling new infections for weeks, as the country braces for a steady rise in new cases linked to clubs and bars in Seoul. YonhapSouth Korea's coronavirus containment capability is again put to the test after successfully controlling new infections for weeks, as the country braces for a steady rise in new cases linked to clubs and bars in Seoul.The country reported 35 more cases of the new coronavirus Monday, the biggest single day spike since April 9, bringing the nation's total infections to 10,909, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The country had been adding fewer than 15 cases of COVID-19 since mid-April, with the number of domestic infections even falling to zero at some points, before rebounding to 18 and 34 cases over the weekend. The hike came after a man in his 20s who tested positive for COVID-19 visited clubs and bars in Seoul's popular multicultural neighborhood of Itaewon on May 1. More than 1,500 people were believed to have visited th

May 11, 2020
Korea at critical juncture for virus containment

PM warns of strong steps against club visitors over non-cooperation in virus testing

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun. YonhapSouth Korea's prime minister warned Monday the government could take strong measures if visitors of clubs and bars in Itaewon, Seoul's multicultural neighborhood, do not cooperate in taking coronavirus tests.The warning came as many visitors to Itaewon clubs and bars during the latest holidays are not available though health authorities are struggling to trace them amid a spike in related community infections. Itaewon-linked infections have totaled 75 nationally, according to the Seoul mayor."Still, the majority of the visitors are not reachable. The testing rate (linked to the Itaewon case) remains less than half," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a meeting of authorities' response to the virus.Chung stressed the need for rapid and massive testing to prevent a potential spread of COVID-19 in Seoul and surrounding areas.After keeping local infections at zero for a few days, South Korea saw an unexpected spike in cases coming from entertainment facilities in the popular area, with infections reported not only in Seoul but across the country.Th

May 11, 2020
PM warns of strong steps against club visitors over non-cooperation in virus testing

Itaewon club-linked infections now at 75: Seoul mayor

Coronavirus infections linked to clubs and bars in Itaewon, Seoul's multicultural neighborhood, have totaled 75 nationally, the city's mayor said Monday. YonhapCoronavirus infections linked to clubs and bars in Itaewon, Seoul's multicultural neighborhood, have totaled 75 nationally, the city's mayor said Monday.After keeping local infections at zero for a few days, South Korea saw an unexpected spike in cases coming from entertainment facilities in the popular area, with infections reported not only in Seoul but across the country.The number of cases reported across the country has reached 75, including 49 in the country's capital, Mayor Park Won-soon said in a radio interview with broadcaster KBS.Park said that the city government has secured the names of 5,517 people who visited the affected facilities and has gotten in touch with 2,405 of them.Among those the city managed to get in touch with were 28 foreigners, he added.The mayor said those who were not accounted for are believed to have provided false information or be trying to evade contact. Park urged them to get checked for

May 11, 2020
Itaewon club-linked infections now at 75: Seoul mayor

Korea sends 2 million face masks to US to help fight COVID-19

South Korea on Monday sent 2 million face masks in emergency assistance to the United States to help its fight against the new coronavirus, the foreign ministry said. YonhapSouth Korea on Monday sent 2 million face masks in emergency assistance to the United States to help its fight against the new coronavirus, the foreign ministry said.The provision of the masks came after President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the two countries' cooperation in battling the COVID-19 pandemic during phone talks on March 24.A U.S. cargo flight carrying the masks was set to arrive in the United States on Monday, the ministry said. The supplies will be distributed to medical institutions at the vanguard of the anti-virus campaign."The provision followed comprehensive considerations, such as our country's domestic COVID-19 situation and the local supply and demand for masks, and the need for support for our ally, the U.S.," the ministry said in a press release."We hope that South Korea and the U.S. will quickly overcome the shared challenge of the COVID-19 disease through this su

May 11, 2020
Korea sends 2 million face masks to US to help fight COVID-19

Infections in Itaewon clubs spread across nation

A nightclub in Itaewon displays a sign to inform visitors of its voluntary closure after the Seoul city government issued an administrative order suspending operation of clubs and bars, Saturday. /YonhapKorea reports 34 new virus cases Sunday, largest in a monthBy Bahk Eun-jiThe latest cluster infections in Itaewon, Seoul, have spread across the country over the past week, raising fears that the once-under-control coronavirus outbreak could spin out of control, according to health authorities, Sunday.The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirmed 34 more cases, bringing the country's total to 10,874. Among the daily new cases, 26 people were associated with a 29-year-old man who went to clubs and bars in the multicultural entertainment district of Itaewon on May 2, while two were detected in Daegu and eight came from overseas.The KCDC urged visitors of those clubs to self-isolate to contain the spread of the virus as the number of people assumed to have visited the clubs and bars would be inaccurate due to possible errors in the entry logs. Clubs and bars in It

May 10, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Infections in Itaewon clubs spread across nation

Gyeonggi Province issues 'no-assembly' order for bars, clubs

Gov. Lee Jae-myung of Gyeonggi Province announces a “no-assembly” administrative order for bars, clubs and other normally crowded entertainment facilities in the province on Sunday. The move was in response to a recent spike in coronavirus cases linked to clubs and bars in Seoul's Itaewon district. YonhapThe Gyeonggi provincial government imposed a "no-assembly" order for clubs and entertainment facilities Sunday after a recent spike in coronavirus cases linked to clubs and bars in Seoul's Itaewon district put health authorities on alert.Gov. Lee Jae-myung of the province surrounding Seoul said the measure will be effective immediately and remain in place for two weeks, as he announced the administrative order in a nationally televised online emergency press briefing.Under the measure, all entertainment facilities, including clubs, "room salons," bars and restaurants, are banned from hosting "crowds of people," which virtually suspends their businesses."This is an inevitable measure to realistically prevent the risk of any spread of infections and to avoid the balloon eff

May 10, 2020
Gyeonggi Province issues 'no-assembly' order for bars, clubs

S. Korea reports 34 more cases of coronavirus after group infection in Itaewon

- S. Korea reports 34 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 10,874- No additional deaths, virus death toll stays at 256- 42 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, bringing total to 9,610South Korea reported 34 more cases of the new coronavirus Sunday, the biggest single day spike since April 9, due apparently to the latest cluster infection blamed on clubs in Seoul's multicultural district of Itaewon.The new cases raised South Korea's total cases of COVID-19 to 10,874 and the nation's death toll remained unchanged at 256, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).The spike came after a 29-year-old patient, whom health authorities consider to be the first patient in the cluster infection, visited five clubs and bars in Itaewon from the night of May 1 to the early hours of the following morning. (Yonhap)

May 10, 2020
S. Korea reports 34 more cases of coronavirus after group infection in Itaewon
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