South Korea scrambles to contain new wave of coronavirus outbreak in Seoul

In a drastic turn of events, the South Korean officials reportedly scrambled to contain the new coronavirus outbreak that is now threatening to spread rapidly throughout the densely populated capital city of Seoul. This prompted officials to shelve plans of resumption of businesses. On the second consecutive day of fresh cases of high magnitude, authorities also feared that the country could be entering the second wave of the severe outbreak, according to media reports. 

As many as 69 cases were registered by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) over the past 48 hours in the fresh series of the cluster outbreak, according to KCDC reports. Earlier, yesterday, health officials recorded 34 new coronavirus cases after a cluster outbreak occurred in nightclubs visited by the COVID-19 positive. Of the new cases announced, eight were imported, while 26 were the domestically transmitted, media reports confirmed. 

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Top priority to “minimize” the spread

As of Monday, May 11, the authorities scrambled to test at least 4,000 people who had patronized the night clubs and diners and conducted an investigation to track down over 3,000 exposed contacts, as per reports. In a virtual address, Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun told a meeting with government officials that the administration’s top priority was to “minimize” the spread of the infections in the greater Seoul area which had now turned to a potential site of the outbreak. Further, he added, the officials should quickly find the exposed and test them, and speed is key.  

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon reportedly warned people caught evading testing with penalties and fine. While speaking at a press briefing, he said that if Seoul was penetrated then the nation would be at greater risk, noting the city accounted for fewer than 700 of the nation’s 10,909 cases, as per media reports. President Moon Jae-in, in a speech to the nation, warned that the pandemic was “not over until it was over” citing that the infection could easily spread among communities widely, anytime. Further, he warned of the second wave of the pandemic later this year, saying the recent cluster underscored the risks of the relapse of the COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus. 

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