S.Korean capital orders clubs, bars to halt business over COVID-19 cluster infection

The city government of South Korea's capital Seoul on Saturday ordered all entertainment spots, such as clubs and bars, to immediately halt business as a cluster infection of the COVID-19 was detected in the popular multicultural neighborhood of Itaewon.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon told a press briefing that an administrative order was immediately issued to ban all entertainment spots, such as clubs, bars and room salons, from hosting crowds of people.

Park said the relevant facilities must stop business immediately and will face strict punishment if the order is violated. The order would remain effective until a further notice comes out.

The order came after a cluster infection was detected from a patient who visited clubs and bars at Itaewon in Seoul over last weekend.

The 29-year-old man, who resides in Yongin city, Gyeonggi province, toured a total of five clubs and bars in Itaewon from Friday night to the early hours of Saturday. He tested positive for the virus and was admitted to a hospital on Wednesday morning.

According to the Seoul mayor, a total of 27 Seoul residents traceable to the Itaewon cluster infection were confirmed positive for the COVID-19 as of midday Saturday local time.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to the Itaewon cluster infection was 40 across the country.

Over 1,900 people were estimated to have visited the clubs and bars, to which the Yongin patient went, but around 1,300 people were not reached.

Park vowed to cooperate with the policy to force all the club visitors to be tested for the COVID-19.

In the latest tally, South Korea reported 18 more cases for the past 24 hours, raising the total number of infections to 10,840. The daily caseload is feared to rise fast in the next days because of the cluster infection.