"Please Get Tested" Itaewon Club Visitors, Where Have They Hidden... Investigation Faces Difficulties

Visitors to Itaewon Clubs, False List Entries Hinder Contact Tracing
Seoul City Orders Closure of Entertainment Venues Including Clubs, Emotional Pubs, Collatecs, and Room Salons

On the 8th, citizens are passing in front of 'King Club' in Itaewon, Seoul, where a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) had visited. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] As a large number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have emerged mainly among visitors to clubs in Itaewon, Seoul, about 1,980 out of approximately 5,000 club visitors have not been reached, causing difficulties for quarantine authorities in tracking them.

According to Yongsan District Office in Seoul on the 11th, a full survey was conducted on five clubs and pubs in Itaewon during the golden holiday period from the 29th of last month to the 6th, confirming 5,517 visitors. This number excludes 1,705 duplicates from the total secured list of 7,222 people.

Yongsan District contacted 3,535 people, accounting for 64%, to guide them on COVID-19 testing and refraining from going out. However, the remaining 36%, or 1,982 people, provided false information on the list, making contact impossible.

Seoul City and Yongsan District plan to cooperate with the police to investigate credit card usage records and mobile phone usage details.

Meanwhile, on the previous day (the 10th), the Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that between 0:00 and 12:00 on that day, 11 new confirmed cases related to clubs in Itaewon were identified, bringing the total number of related confirmed cases to 54.

Earlier, the quarantine authorities stated that among the 34 new confirmed cases as of 0:00 that day, 24 were related to Itaewon clubs.

Among the total 54 patients, 43 were infected by directly visiting Itaewon clubs. The remaining 11 were identified as other contacts such as family and acquaintances.

On the afternoon of the 8th, when additional infections of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) occurred at a club in Itaewon, Seoul, visited by patient number 66 from Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, a notice of compliance for entertainment facilities was posted in front of a club in Itaewon, Seoul, participating in temporary closure following the government's administrative order recommending suspension of operations for one month targeting clubs and other entertainment venues.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Additional confirmed cases are expected to surge nationwide. On the same day, Dongjak District in Seoul announced that it had confirmed the 34th and 35th new confirmed patients in the district.

They are believed to have been infected at a gym in the district by patient number 32 of Dongjak District, who was infected after visiting an Itaewon club on the 2nd.

As confirmed cases continue to pour out among people who visited Itaewon clubs, Seoul City has issued a gathering ban order on all entertainment facilities including clubs, emotional pubs, colatecs, and room salons.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon emphasized at an emergency COVID-19 briefing on the 9th, "From this moment on, entertainment facilities must cease operations, and those who violate this will face severe punishment."

Mayor Park pointed out, "Students were preparing for phased school reopening, and the elderly were waiting for the day to visit senior centers. Due to the carelessness of a few people, all efforts could be wasted."

He also strongly urged voluntary testing for visitors to Itaewon clubs. Mayor Park said, "Out of 1,946 people on the lists of five Itaewon clubs, only 647 were contacted, and the remaining 1,309 did not answer the phone. We plan to work with the police to find those visitors who have not been reached and ensure they get tested."

Meanwhile, Seoul City has formed a rapid response team since the 7th to respond to the Itaewon club cluster infection.