South Korea reports new coronavirus cases tied to nightclubs

The government of South Korea shut down nearly 2,100 nightclubs Saturday due to emerging hot spots of COVID-19 infections.

South Korea has delved into a wave of testing and contact tracing for the coronavirus amid the outbreak. However, the government recently relaxed some pandemic restrictions and social distancing guidelines, such as reopening larger churches.

Following an uptick in virus cases linked to clubs and bars last weekend, Seoul closed thousands of nightlife recreation venues, according to The Associated Press.

Numerous cases reportedly traced back to one 29-year-old man who visited the clubs prior to testing positive.

CNN reported that 40 others are believed to have been in contact with the man who tested positive, while 1,946 names on club guest lists were mentioned to be at the clubs on the nights the infected man attended.

Kwon Joon-wook, deputy director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there could have been more positive cases infecting the club scene, according to CNN.

“We’ve put in much efforts and made a lot of sacrifices,” Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said Saturday. “Are we just to let this all go to waste because of a few people’s carelessness?”

South Korea’s case numbers had been dwindling until the night club outbreaks, with reports of 9,568 recoveries, Worldometer reported.

Since the outbreak began, South Korea has reported more than 10,800 cases and 256 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.