"Request to Young Adults in Their 20s... Please Refrain from Visiting Clubs, Bars, and Karaoke Rooms" (Update)

An entertainment facility located in the Seoul metropolitan area [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Amid the ongoing spread of confirmed cases, including secondary infections, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) originating from Itaewon, Seoul, quarantine authorities on the 22nd specifically requested that people in their 20s exercise extra caution for the health and safety of the social community.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters (Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency), said at the regular briefing that day, "I would like to make a request to people in their 20s," adding, "Please refrain from visiting enclosed and crowded multi-use facilities such as clubs, pubs, and karaoke rooms, and minimize gatherings until the risk of infection decreases." She continued, "If you have even the slightest suspicious symptoms, please actively get tested."

Director Jung said, "As COVID-19 has prolonged, young people have likely experienced significant inconvenience due to the long social distancing measures, and I believe they have also faced stress and depression due to difficulties in studies and employment. However, for the safety of the social community and the health of young people, it is now necessary to create a harmony between youth culture and daily quarantine practices."

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters (Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency), is holding a regular briefing on the domestic occurrence status of COVID-19 and the interim investigation results of confirmed patients on the afternoon of May 8 at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in Cheongju, Chungbuk.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

She added, "(Because) many patients in their 20s are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, it is estimated that there are more undetected infected individuals in the community."

She also said, "People in their 20s and 30s who become infected with COVID-19 must undergo isolation treatment for three to four weeks, and in some cases, the disease progresses to severe symptoms due to excessive immune responses. Due to their active social activities, their risk of becoming infected and transmitting the virus to others increases, so they must pay close attention to infection prevention."

According to quarantine authorities, the proportion of confirmed cases in people in their 20s has been increasing recently due to the spread of COVID-19 through clubs, pubs, karaoke rooms, and similar venues.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, as of 0:00 a.m. that day, the total cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country was 11,142. People in their 20s accounted for 3,111 cases, representing 27.9% of all confirmed cases. This was followed by people in their 50s with 1,974 cases (17.7%), people in their 40s with 1,473 cases (13.2%), and people in their 60s with 1,369 cases (12.3%).