A man from South Korea had been active in several bars, nightclubs and other places in Itaewon, Yongsan District, Seoul before he was diagnosed with the new coronavirus, causing clustered infections. Relevant confirmed cases were spread across the country and caused infections in the army. This made South Korea, which had already pressed the resumption of work button, tense up again.
The whole story of the collective infection of Itaewon nightclub in South Korea
On May 6, a 29-year-old man living in Cheongdeok-dong, Qixing District, Yongin City was diagnosed with COVID-19. He worked in a software company in Pengtang District, Chengnan City, Chengnan City. He started taking vacations on April 30. He developed symptoms such as fever and diarrhea on May 2. He was examined on the 5th and was diagnosed at 7 a.m. on the 6th.
htmlApril 30 and May 5 are the Buddha's Birthday and Children's Day in South Korea respectively. Therefore, many locals choose to go out for a long time or go out for a trip during this prime time. The patient was active for 5 days during these 6 days. In the early morning of the 2nd, he went to Itaewon and went to three nightclubs and two bars in a row, without wearing a mask.
△The picture shows a clerk in a nearby store taking photos at 2 a.m. on May 2, and the first person who was diagnosed was active here at that time.
According to the South Korean Disease Management Headquarters, 17 people were diagnosed on the 8th, of which 15 of them had intersections with the man in the bar and nightclub in Itaewon.
This collective infection incident also triggered a secondary infection. A 25-year-old man in the nightclub infected his 28-year-old sister; a nurse infected her mother; a soldier infected other officers...
Among the confirmed cases, three foreigners went to the nightclub in Xincun twice on the 3rd and 4th. The area brings together many well-known Korean universities and is crowded with people.
According to the latest notice, the number of confirmed cases of new coronavirus pneumonia related to Itaewon nightclub in Seoul has risen to 86, of which 63 are those who have visited nightclubs, and the remaining 23 are close contacts of the above-mentioned people. CCTV News has compiled known information and sorted out the collective infection chain of the former Itaewon incident:
Confirmed cases are scattered across South Korea. Infections occur in the military
South Korea's Central Epidemic Prevention and Countermeasures Headquarters reported on the 11th that among the confirmed cases, the number of cases in Seoul is 51, Gyeonggi-do 21, Incheon City , 5, Chungcheong North Dock, 1 case each of Busan and Jeju-do. Due to the wide spread of cases, it is becoming increasingly difficult to prevent and control the epidemic.
(△ The information in the picture is compiled according to the official release of South Korea, and the data deadline is on the 11th local time.)
According to the South Korean Ministry of Defense on the 10th, a senior officer of the "Cyber Operations Command" was infected with the new crown, which is the 43rd confirmed case of the South Korean army. Previously, a soldier from the unit was diagnosed after entering and leaving the Itaewon nightclub. The officer had recently had contact with the infected soldiers, which may be an associated case. Previously, there were two related cases in the South Korean Army, one of whom had gone to the Itaewon nightclub.
South Korea: A speed battle against time
Itaewon nightclub collective infection incident involving many people and a wide range. The South Korean government said that this is a speed battle against time, and the further spread of the epidemic must be blocked as soon as possible.
Emergency verification involving more than 5,500 people
After the confirmed case was found in Itaewon nightclub, Seoul and Gyeonggi-do have issued an order to "prohibit gatherings" to nightclubs, bars and other entertainment facilities in their jurisdictions.
South Korean epidemic prevention department reminds the public that people who have visited Itaewon nightclubs from the end of April to May 6 should try not to go out, and should be quarantined at home or consult the local health center to undergo virus testing, etc.
△The picture shows the incident nightclub and was taken on the afternoon of May 11. The store is now closed. (Photo by CCTV reporter Li Dajie)
South Korea launched an emergency inspection for more than 5,500 people who have visited the places where confirmed cases have entered and left the patients.
The police tracked the credit card usage details, surveillance videos, and even the connection trajectory of communication base stations, and called on relevant personnel to take the initiative to accept investigation through mobile phone alarms and media.
html completed the test within 2 days, but more than 3,000 people still did not contact html. On the 8th, the South Korean government issued an administrative order, suggesting that nightclubs and other entertainment venues "restrained business."Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi-do, which are affiliated to the metropolitan area, have issued a second administrative order to entertainment venues within their jurisdiction, suggesting that they should not open business until June 7.△South Korea Central Epidemic Prevention Countermeasures Headquarters Minister Zheng Yinjing (photo from Yonhap News Agency )
South Korea Central Epidemic Prevention Countermeasures Headquarters Minister Zheng Yinjing requested on the 11th: People who visit Itaewon entertainment facilities must undergo inspections this week, especially today (11) and tomorrow (12th).
However, according to Yonhap News Agency on May 11, from April 24 to May 6, there were 5,517 people who had been to Itaewon-related nightclubs, and 3,112 people were still unable to contact.
South Korean Prime Minister: Requesting relevant people to cooperate. Hesitating for a day may mean stopping for a month
Facing relevant personnel who have not yet been contacted, South Korean Prime Minister Ding Se-jun "yelled" at the press conference, hoping that they would contact screening clinics or health centers immediately.
"Hesitate for a day, maybe our daily hour hand will stop for one month." Ding Shijun emphasized that if we do not provide timely assistance, the government can only consider more intense countermeasures for the safety of all people.
△South Korean Prime Minister Ding Shijun
Nightclub has always been a high-risk area for the epidemic
South Korea has been called a "model student" of epidemic prevention and control by the media. By the 5th of this month, the number of new cases in a single day has remained below 20 for 17 consecutive days. Why do such cluster infections occur again?
Young people underestimate the risk of infection with the virus
A Korean survey showed that young people aged 20-30 may use mass transportation more and it is difficult to maintain a safe distance of 2 meters. In addition, the average proportion of people who believe that "the new coronavirus pneumonia will have a serious impact on health" is about 75.2%, but in the age group in their 20s, this proportion is only 66.4%.
△A Korean survey shows that people in their 20s underestimate the severity of their own infection.
There are very few people wearing masks in nightclubs
The Itaewon neighborhood in Seoul, where the collective infection incident occurred, is home to a large number of foreigners. It is called the "Wanguocheng" of South Korea. Because restaurants, nightclubs and bars are distributed around it, it is also one of the main neighborhoods for young Koreans to entertain at night. The first confirmed man has been in and out of five entertainment venues within 100 meters.
△South Korea Itaewon nightclubs and bars are dense.
△The picture shows the nightclub in Itaewon. (From the local website of South Korea)
These places have always been high-risk areas for the epidemic due to their relatively closed space, no air circulation, dim lights, and no mandatory wear of masks.
Some people deliberately lied and created false information
screening and testing are still in progress, but they have also encountered some difficulties.
According to Korean media reports, since nightclubs are entertainment venues, many people are unwilling to disclose their identities, and some people even use false information when registering in nightclubs and other places. Among the existing confirmed cases, 30% are asymptomatic infections. Relevant people analyzed that among the more than 3,000 people who cannot be contacted, a considerable number of people may also be asymptomatic infections.
Next step in epidemic prevention: Be prepared for a protracted war
0 The South Korean government has adjusted its epidemic prevention policy to the "life epidemic prevention" stage since May 6, but as the number of related cases of "confirmed cases in Seoul nightclubs" continues to increase, it is generally believed that the prospects for epidemic prevention are not optimistic.
People: Worry about the second outbreak of the epidemic
South Korea's Ministry of Education announced on the 11th that due to the collective infection of Itaewon nightclubs in Seoul, all primary and secondary schools in South Korea, which were originally scheduled to start school the day after tomorrow (13th), will be postponed for another week. As a result, senior high school students will resume classes from May 20, and the rest of the grades will return to school one after another after the 27th.
The re-fermentation of the epidemic has caused students and parents to fall into anxiety. Some people are angry about the incident and are more worried about the possibility of a new outbreak.
Moon Jae-in : Be prepared for a protracted war
△South Korean President Moon Jae-in
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in his special speech on the third anniversary of his inauguration on the 10th that the South Korean government will further improve the epidemic prevention system and must not relax its awareness of epidemic prevention at present. In response to the second pandemic predicted by experts, we must be prepared to fight a protracted war.
Source: CCTV News Client
