It was only a matter of time before the Korean media jumped on foreign English teachers for visiting Itaewon:
Concerns are growing at schools as nearly 90 foreign English teachers were found to have recently visited Itaewon in Seoul, a new COVID-19 hot spot connected to more than 90 confirmed coronavirus cases, education officials said Tuesday.
The South Jeolla Office of Education said 36 foreign teachers and 15 Korean teaching staff visited Itaewon and the Hongdae area sometime between April 24 and May 6. Among them two visited nightclubs. The office said 20 tested negative for the virus and 31 are currently undergoing testing.
Korea Times
According to the South Jeolla provincial government, five residents including one foreign teacher were confirmed to have visited Itaewon during the period when a 29-year-old Korean “superspreader” visited a number of nightclubs there from May 1 to May 2, but all tested negative.
The Gangwon Provincial Office of Education also said 55 foreign teachers and substitute teachers visited Itaewon from April 24 to May 6. They didn’t visit clubs or bars, just a number of restaurants and coffee shops.
You can read more at the link, but the Korea Times writes an article about how schools are supposedly concerned about foreign born English teachers even though none of them have tested positive yet for the virus.
Does anyone think there were no ethnic Korean teachers that visited Itaewon during this timeframe?
These cluster infections are likely going to keep happening from time to time, so does that mean the schools will be closed each time? If so why bother opening them?:
South Korea on Monday announced plans to reopen schools a week later than scheduled after dozens of infections coming from clubs in the city’s multicultural neighborhood of Itaewon triggered concerns over a bigger outbreak.
“The education ministry, through consultation with health authorities, postponed school reopening for high school seniors to guarantee the safety of students. The reopening for other grades will also be postponed by a week,” Vice Education Minister Park Baeg-beom said in a press briefing.
Under the revised schedule, high school seniors will return to school on May 20, followed by younger students who will return to school in steps concluding on June 8, according to the education ministry.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
I think South Korea is providing a good example for other parts of the world to be prepared for cluster infections as people get back to work and their some what normal routines:
The number of new coronavirus infections connected to bars and clubs in Seoul’s popular nightlife district of Itaewon climbed to 94 on Monday, health authorities and local governments said amid growing concerns over a high risk of community spread.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced that 86 cases, including 63 club visitors and 23 family members and friends who came in contact with the clubbers, were confirmed as of noon on Monday.
Later in the day, the Seoul city government reported eight more cases to take the total infections to 94.
By region, Seoul has reported 59 confirmed cases, with 21 in Gyeonggi Province, seven in Incheon, five in North Chungcheong Province and one each in Busan and Jeju Island.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
It seems like these Korean style bars have the potential to be the next cluster infection site:
Clubs in the district of Gangnam were also shut down following the administrative order.
“We held an emergency meeting after Seoul city made the announcement, closed doors and put up signs informing our customers,” a club in Gangnam said. “We are worried since we do not know how long we have to keep the doors closed.”
Bars labeled as general restaurants in Gangnam, however, were still crowded with customers, raising concerns over further coronavirus infections.
Young customers formed long lines to get seats at indoor “pochas” — Korean-style bars — near Gangnam Station. Tables were placed closely together in clusters and the restaurant was filled with customers.
“We were supposed to go to a club, but it was closed so we came to this place,” said a man, who was at a pocha in Gangnam with his friends. “I heard a few people were confirmed with the virus in Itaewon, but I’m not worried since it was not in Gangnam.”
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
