New coronavirus clusters in South Korea, China spur fears of a second wave
New clusters of Covid-19 have been reported in the South Korean capital, Seoul, and the Chinese city of Wuhan – where the global outbreak originated – sparking fears of a second wave of infections in two countries thought to have tamed the virus.
The South Korean cases have been linked to nightclubs and bars in the capital city, with officials searching for thousands of people who may have been infected.
Seoul’s party district is now banned from hosting crowds of people, and President Moon Jae-in has warned South Koreans to “never lower their guard” in efforts to prevent the virus from again taking hold.
Held up as a global model on how to manage the coronavirus, South Korea had been on track to loosen restrictions following weeks of surveillance and social distancing measures.
But the country announced its highest number of new Covid-19 cases in more than a month this Monday. Gyeonggi province and the city of Incheon followed Seoul in ordering the closure of clubs and bars following the detection of fresh cases.
The capital's nightlife cluster has prompted officials to delay the reopening of South Korean schools.
Meanwhile China is also introducing renewed restrictions after five new cases were reported in the central city of Wuhan, and another 12 in the north-eastern city of Shulan.
Authorities say the small Wuhan cluster came from the same residential compound, and that no cases were imported from overseas. Wuhan was the world’s first city to go into lockdown, lasting 76 days.
An increase in infections has led to a lockdown being imposed on the city of Shulan, in the province of Jilin, which borders both Russia and North Korea.
China's National Health Commission urged people to "stay alert”, warning the new clusters were a reminder to be on the lookout for symptoms, and to avoid social gatherings.
The new clusters in east Asia come as parts of Europe begin to cautiously reopen.
Seoul’s party district is now banned from hosting crowds of people, and President Moon Jae-in has warned South Koreans to “never lower their guard” in efforts to prevent the virus from again taking hold.
Held up as a global model on how to manage the coronavirus, South Korea had been on track to loosen restrictions following weeks of surveillance and social distancing measures.
But the country announced its highest number of new Covid-19 cases in more than a month this Monday. Gyeonggi province and the city of Incheon followed Seoul in ordering the closure of clubs and bars following the detection of fresh cases.
The capital's nightlife cluster has prompted officials to delay the reopening of South Korean schools.
Meanwhile China is also introducing renewed restrictions after five new cases were reported in the central city of Wuhan, and another 12 in the north-eastern city of Shulan.
Authorities say the small Wuhan cluster came from the same residential compound, and that no cases were imported from overseas. Wuhan was the world’s first city to go into lockdown, lasting 76 days.
An increase in infections has led to a lockdown being imposed on the city of Shulan, in the province of Jilin, which borders both Russia and North Korea.
China's National Health Commission urged people to "stay alert”, warning the new clusters were a reminder to be on the lookout for symptoms, and to avoid social gatherings.
The new clusters in east Asia come as parts of Europe begin to cautiously reopen.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.