"Worries Become Reality... Why Did Jeong Eun-kyung Apologize?"

Jung Eun-kyung, Head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, "We Were Concerned About Entertainment Venues... Feeling Apologetic"
54 Confirmed Cases Related to Itaewon Clubs... 11 Cases Are Secondary Infections
Disease Control Headquarters Urges Continued Caution and Expresses Concern Despite Decrease in New Cases

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters (Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency), is moving on the afternoon of the 8th at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in Cheongju, Chungbuk, for a regular briefing on the domestic occurrence status of COVID-19 and the interim investigation results of confirmed patients.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] "From the perspective of the disease control authorities, we were very concerned about entertainment venues and religious facilities where enclosed spaces and close contact occur, but it is with great regret that such concerns have manifested in the form of a mass outbreak at Itaewon clubs."

This was a statement made by Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, which is in charge of COVID-19 control, during a regular briefing on the 10th. Except when mentioning fatalities, she rarely uses emotionally charged expressions, but upon the recent cluster infections centered around clubs in the Itaewon area of Seoul, she expressed her apologies to the public.

As confirmed cases exposed to the COVID-19 infection source at clubs and subsequent community infections among family and acquaintances continue to emerge, the disease control authorities have become highly alert. According to the Disease Control Headquarters, as of 12 PM on this day, the total number of confirmed cases related to Itaewon clubs stands at 54. Among them, 11 were infected through contact with club visitors without having visited the clubs themselves.

Head Jung urged, "While healthy young adults generally recover without severe symptoms, I hope everyone remembers once again that if this outbreak accumulates in the community and the coronavirus is exposed to the elderly or those with underlying conditions, it can be extremely fatal to those with weakened immunity."

Since late last month, the Disease Control Headquarters, including Head Jung, has consistently urged caution even as the number of new cases decreased. Deputy Head Kwon Jun-wook said on the 2nd, when no new cases were confirmed in the community, "We hope the current trend continues, but on the other hand, we have previously experienced a situation like calm before the storm before the explosive outbreak centered on the Shincheonji religious group," adding, "As seen in forest fires, smoldering embers outside the main fire can flare up again into a major blaze."

Head Jung also pointed out the slight decrease in diagnostic testing during the briefing the following day, saying, "While the reduction in cluster outbreaks and community infection cases may be a factor, I am concerned that vigilance against COVID-19 may have loosened," and added, "There is always a risk that exposure of many people in enclosed spaces can lead to a large-scale outbreak."

Coincidentally, just as social distancing measures were shifted to everyday distancing after a month and a half of implementation since late March, the feared cluster infections in the metropolitan area occurred, raising public anxiety once again. From the disease control authorities' perspective, while they have established a thorough disease control network to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and to respond swiftly to any potential cluster infections, the Itaewon club-related cluster outbreak revealed gaps in the control network, prompting an apology. This is due to some prevention guidelines not being followed and the difficulty in early contact tracing.