Updates on COVID-19 in Republic of Korea

19 May 2020

○ As of 0:00, 19 May 2020, a total of 11,078 cases (including 1,181 imported cases) have been confirmed, of which 9,938 cases (89.7%) have been discharged from isolation. Newly confirmed cases are 13 in total.

[Table 1. Total reported/tested cases]

[Table 2. Imported cases in Korea (as of 0:00, 19 May 2020)]

* Figures may change based on findings from ongoing local epidemiological investigation efforts.

○ Of the 13 new cases, 4 were imported cases and 9 were locally transmitted cases.

  - 7 of the locally transmitted cases are related to the nightclub cluster.

   > 2 visitors to nightclubs/etc; 5 contacts.

  - 1 local case is from Seoul City.

   > This case is a healthcare worker at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul. From testing of contacts, 3 cases have been additionally confirmed. Further investigation on contacts and the chain of transmission is underway.

  - 1 local case is a contact of previous confirmed case.

○ 12 additional confirmed cases related to the nightclubs have been reported between 0:00 and 12:00 today, bringing the total related to the cluster to 187. Contact investigation and infection control measures are underway.

  - By region: Seoul City=97, Gyeonggi Province=37, Incheon City=33, Chungbuk Province=9, Busan City=4, Jeonbuk Province=2, Daejeon City=1, Chungnam Province=1, Gyeongnam Province=1,
Gangwon Province=1, Jeju Province=1

  - By chain of transmission: Club visitors=93; Contacts (family/acquaintance/coworkers/etc)=94

  - By age group: [0-18]=20; [19-29]=111; [30-39]=27; [40-49]=13; [50-59]=7; [60+]=9

  - Male=150; Female=37

○ KCDC is requesting all persons who visited or used “Top Coin Singing Room” (Floor 2), “Jin PC Room” (Floor 11), or in-building elevators at the Vision Plaza building in Michuhol-gu, Incheon City on 6 May between 15:00 and 24:00 to contact a local public health center or dial 1339 and get tested for COVID-19.

○ KCDC is requesting anyone who visited any of the nightlife entertainment venues in Itaewon area including any clubs or bars from 24 April to 6 May to stay home and refrain from going to other places, contact a local public health center or dial 1339 (KCDC call center), and visit a screening clinic and get tested, regardless of symptoms.

○ KCDC also emphasized that persons who work in education, places of worship, indoor sports/gym facilities, or other places that are used by many people should especially report to public health center if they have been exposed to above venues since their work environment creates a high risk of transmission.

○ Even if test result is negative, it is still possible for the person to have been infected but in the 14-day incubation period before the virus activates. Therefore, those who have been instructed to self-quarantine should strictly follow the self-quarantine protocol. Persons who are not subject to self-quarantine should still minimize contact with other people. They should carefully practice personal hygiene measures including mask wearing and hand washing, and get retested immediately if symptoms appear later.

○ In light of the upcoming reopening of schools (5/20) for high school seniors (high school grade 3), KCDC provided guidance for COVID-19 prevention measures.

  - Systems of inter-institutional cooperation will be created to ensure timely sharing of information and response. Such measures include implementation of hotlines between schools and public health centers and preparing epidemiological investigation response teams at municipal offices of education and public health divisions of local municipal governments.

  - Students, teachers, and staff should check their symptoms in the morning and stay home if they have fever or respiratory symptoms. They should keep facemasks on at all time while in school and strictly follow personal hygiene measures such as hand washing and cough etiquette.

   - Schools should ensure that every student’s body temperature is checked before the student enters classroom. If a student has temperature of 37.5 degrees or above or have other suspected symptoms, the school should have the student put on an MFDS-approved facemask such as KF80, KF94, or KF99 mask and wait in a separate location while the school contacts the student’s parent or guardian.

  - If a confirmed case is found in a school, all students, teachers, and staff of the school will be instructed to put on an MFDS-approved facemask and return home. Local municipal government will conduct epidemiological investigation, disinfection, restriction of use of the affected facility, and other necessary infection control measures.

  - To prevent COVID-19 transmission in schools, KCDC has requested testing laboratories to process samples of high school students with highest priority and asked for timely notice of test results.

○ In light of the recent rise in local transmissions related to clubs, bars, karaoke rooms, and after-school private academies, KCDC urged people to refrain from social gathering or visiting any enclosed/confined/crowded spaces that are frequented by many people.

  - People who cannot avoid visiting an enclosed/crowded space for an essential reason should carefully follow personal hygiene measures including keeping 2 meters of distance from other people, wearing a facemask, avoiding handshakes, washing hands, and not touching eyes, nose, or mouth with their hands.

  - Persons belonging to high-risk groups (including elderly, pregnant women, persons with chronic illness) should especially avoid any poorly ventilated enclosed space frequented by many people. If such a situation cannot be avoided for an essential reason, it is highly important to wear a facemask.

○ Anyone who has come in close contact with a large number of unspecified persons in an enclosed/confined space such as clubs or bars need to be tested at a screening clinic through public health center or 1339 call center.

  - KCDC urged people to visit a screening clinic and get tested especially if two or more persons within a household or social group develop COVID-19 suspected symptoms.

[Table 3: Regional distribution and epidemiological links of the confirmed cases]

[Figure 1: Daily confirmed cases by chain of transmission]