Will Lee Jae-myung's Warning of a 'Second Wave of COVID-19' Become Reality?

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung's warning about the second wave of 'COVID-19' spread a month ago is recently gaining renewed attention.

On the 20th of last month, during a meeting with private general hospital directors in the Gyeonggi Provincial Government situation room, Governor Lee emphasized, "Although COVID-19 is currently in a lull, we do not know when it might suddenly escalate again," and added, "We must prepare comprehensive countermeasures."

At that time, Governor Lee's remarks came after COVID-19 had surged in Korea in February, peaked in March, and the number of confirmed cases had dropped to zero by mid-April, leading most people to be skeptical. The media rushed to make premature forecasts, saying that Korea would become the world's second COVID-19 clean country after China. The world praised Korea as a model country that managed and controlled COVID-19 most effectively. At that point, at least, such a perspective was accurate.

However, these expectations have entered a new phase as young people who visited Itaewon clubs and Gangnam Nonhyeon-dong sleeping rooms during the early May holidays have been consecutively confirmed positive for COVID-19.

As of midnight on the 25th, Gyeonggi Province has a total of 767 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Among them, 58 cases, nearly 10%, are related to the Itaewon clubs.

By region, the highest number of confirmed cases is 14 (8 in Gyeonggi, 6 in Seoul and Incheon) linked to a first birthday party at the Bucheon Raon Party buffet restaurant. These are presumed to be so-called 'Nth generation infections' transmitted through contact with confirmed cases including a private academy instructor, students, and a taxi driver (photographer) who had visited the Itaewon clubs.

In Anyang, young people who visited an Itaewon pub and the Anyang Jakua pub were consecutively confirmed positive, and two additional individuals under active monitoring were confirmed positive on the 24th.

There are also confirmed cases linked to churches. A 52-year-old pastor from a church in Uijeongbu, confirmed positive on the 24th, is presumed to have been infected through contact with a confirmed case from Namyangju Hwado Uri Church who had visited the Eunhye Methodist Church in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul on the 15th. This brings the total confirmed cases related to Hwado Uri Church to seven.

Additionally, a woman in her 30s confirmed positive in Bucheon was identified as an employee at a large logistics center, prompting health authorities to conduct epidemiological investigations on about 200 contacts among the center's workers.

On the 23rd, a 33-year-old firefighter from Bucheon Fire Station was confirmed positive, and in total, three firefighters in the Bucheon and Gimpo areas have tested positive.

As small-scale cluster infections spread across pubs, first birthday parties, churches, and fire stations throughout the province, there are growing concerns that the second wave of COVID-19 spread is becoming full-fledged.

Moreover, worries about the second wave are increasing as third-year high school students began returning to school last week, followed by a phased return of other grades.

Meanwhile, during the meeting with hospital directors, Governor Lee said, "Although the COVID-19 situation seems to be temporarily in a lull, seeing reinfections occur, we cannot know when it will become urgent again," and urged, "Please continue to secure hospital beds for severe patients in preparation for the worst-case scenario."