Category: Korea-General Topics

It looks like the churches in the Seoul region are being given a warning before they will likely be shutdown like the clubs in Seoul were:

Cluster infections at churches are again putting health authorities on edge Monday following a series of mass infections tied to clubs and a distribution center after the country eased social distancing and millions of students went back to schools.

South Korea reported 35 additional cases of the new coronavirus, including 30 local infections, raising the total caseload to 11,503, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

Monday’s tally marked a slight rise from 27 identified the previous day. But the daily number of new cases appears to be on a downward trend after hitting a nearly two-month high of 75 on Thursday.

In yet another alarming sign of further spread in the Seoul metropolitan area, 23 cases have been traced to 13 small churches in Incheon, west of Seoul, and Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The logistics warehouse cluster infection continues to grow:

South Korea said Thursday that it will beef up quarantine measures in the Seoul metropolitan area over the next two weeks to stem further spread of the new coronavirus in the densely populated area amid eased social distancing.

Under the measure, health authorities will apply a strong social distancing scheme in the capital city and surrounding areas through June 14.

Public facilities, including museums and art galleries in the region, will be shut down, with companies urged to adopt flexible work systems and follow quarantine rules.

Entertainment establishments such as bars and clubs in the metropolitan area will be strongly advised to close down over the period, according to Health Minister Park Neung-hoo.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but according to the article the ROK Health Minister is saying if they can’t get the cluster infection under control it could undermine the school reopenings that have been happening recently.

This week if you plan to use mass transit or airplanes in South Korea you better bring a mask:

Starting Tuesday, people without a face mask will be barred from taking a bus, taxi or subway train, in a nationwide measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus through public transport.

The measure will be extended to airline passengers ― domestic and international lines ― from Wednesday. 

Operators of these services will be entitled to ban people not wearing a mask. To make sure the system works, the government will not penalize operators based on complaints from people who are refused permission to board. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

I expect that these cluster infections are going to keep happening and tracing to limit the spread of the virus is going to be very important over the coming months:

South Korea on Wednesday reported a continued rise in new coronavirus cases linked to a logistics center in a city west of Seoul, putting health authorities on alert over further community spread.

As of 9 a.m., at least 36 virus cases had been traced to the logistics center in Bucheon, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

The first related case, confirmed last week, is believed to be linked to a cram school instructor in nearby Incheon, who contracted the virus after a visit to Seoul’s nightlife area of Itaewon.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

For people in the Seoul area, here is something to do in the coming weeks:

 The popular nighttime tours of royal palaces in South Korea will resume next week, months after their suspension due to novel coronavirus fears, the cultural heritage authority said Saturday.

The Gyeongbokgung Starlight Tour will start on Wednesday and go through June 8, while the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour will open from Thursday until June 21, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA).

Tickets for the nocturnal programs are available for purchase at the e-commerce website Auction (ticket.auction.co.kr).

A special program named Gyeongbokgung Saenggwabang, which provides tourists a chance to experience a traditional tea ceremony and enjoy dessert, will start its one-month run on Wednesday.

Music concerts will be also held at the royal palace of Gyeongbok every weekend from May 30 to July 12.

At the same time, the changing of the royal guard ceremony at Gyeongbok Palace already restarted on Wednesday, the administration added.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Despite recent cluster infections South Korea’s schools have begun their phased reopening:

Schools finally reopened Wednesday after a monthslong closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, putting to the test the government ability to control outbreaks at schools.

In a phased reopening plan, high school seniors became the first group to attend in-person classes, 79 days after the original semester start day of March 2. The other students, including preschoolers, will return to school by June 8.

The government has postponed school reopening five times already, as parents and school officials worried about potential coronavirus outbreak. Small clusters of infections added to the anxiety amid prolonged social distancing.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but the preventive measures should be something closely watched by school administrators in the United States to implement best practices.

Here is yet another possible cluster infection that could be popping up in Bucheon:

The Bucheon city government is stepping up efforts to trace more than 250 people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 after finding out that a patient was with them at a nightclub earlier this month.

According to the city government and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Monday, the man, an undocumented Vietnamese immigrant, 32, went to the “Merit Night Club” with friends on the night of May 9. After spending about an hour there, they visited a pub and a noraebang (karaoke club) nearby.

Before testing positive for COVID-19 on May 16, the man, who works in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, also visited “Queen” club in Seoul’s Itaewon on May 1.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.