"Itaewon Cluster Outbreak at Manageable Level... No Risk of Adjusting Social Distancing Measures" (Update)

Image source=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The government stated regarding the cluster outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) originating from Itaewon clubs that "the medical system is being maintained within a manageable range" and "there is no assessment of a risk increase that would warrant adjusting the social distancing system."

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters' quarantine team, said at the regular briefing of the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on the 18th, "The trend of patient occurrence is gradually stabilizing, with about 10 confirmed cases per day on average."

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, as of midnight on that day, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases related to Itaewon clubs was 168. Among them, 89 were club visitors, and 79 additional transmissions occurred from these patients. So far, approximately 65,000 diagnostic tests related to the clubs have been conducted.

In the past two weeks, the daily average number of new patients was 18.4, with one cluster outbreak and 13 cases with unknown infection routes, accounting for 5.1% of the total. The patient management rate within the quarantine network is below 80%. Considering all these factors, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters judges that the domestic quarantine system is at a manageable level.

However, it was also emphasized that transmission has reached up to the fourth generation of infection, mainly among contacts of club visitors, and patients have appeared in 11 metropolitan cities and provinces, indicating widespread spread, so vigilance cannot be relaxed. Yoon said, "There is still a possibility that silent spreaders, whom the quarantine authorities have not identified, exist in the community," and urged, "Those who visited the Itaewon area between April 24 and May 6 and have not yet been tested should get tested even now."