South Korea scrambles to contain nightclub coronavirus outbreak

Reuters ^ | May 11, 2020 | by Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith

[Oldeconomybuyer]

SEOUL - South Korean officials scrambled on Monday to contain a new coronavirus outbreak, searching for thousands of people who may have been infected in a cluster of cases linked to nightclubs and bars in the capital Seoul.

Officials reported 35 new cases as of midnight on Sunday, the second consecutive day of new cases of that magnitude and the highest numbers in more than a month.

Twenty-nine of the new cases were linked to several Seoul nightclubs and bars, many of them catering to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community.

That has raised complications for officials trying to track those who might be infected in a nation where homosexuality is often taboo and LGBTQ people face discrimination, including job loss and hate speech.

The outbreak has highlighted a possible unintended consequence of South Korea’s invasive tracing methods and its disclosure of some patient information, including their recent locations, as part of its approach to tackling the coronavirus.

Health ministry official Yoon Tae-ho acknowledged concern that individuals within the LGBTQ community could be outed and face discrimination if they came forward.

“We release the movement of confirmed patients to encourage anyone who might be exposed get tested voluntarily,” he told a briefing.

“We urge you to refrain from distributing patients’ personal information or groundless rumours, which not only hurts them but can also be subject to punishment.”

[jerod]

Death never makes me happy, but common sense is common sense... They have less deaths in Japan and their low death toll isn’t a mind boggling mystery... They wear mask and they avoid shaking hands... Common sense.