Anchor: As a new cluster of coronavirus cases linked to a nightlife district in South Korea's capital quickly expands, the central and local governments are taking steps to track and test everyone who visited the area and to ban the operation of such businesses.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: The central disaster countermeasures headquarters said that as of 12:00 p.m. Monday, 14 more people linked to the new cluster in the Itaewon club district have tested positive for COVID-19, raising the total to 86.

Authorities said 63 of the cases were patients who had visited the entertainment establishments, while the other 23 were secondary infections involving family members and acquaintances.

The virus has spread rapidly after the first Itaewon-linked infection was reported last Wednesday.

At a meeting with officials, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun raised concerns over difficulties in tracking down people who visited the affected clubs and bars at the same time as those who tested positive.

Chung said the government has no other option but to consider tough measures against those refusing to cooperate with authorities.

The prime minister urged local governments to mobilize all their manpower to find and test all the visitors and for the police to cooperate by utilizing its investigative resources.

At a press briefing, the central disaster countermeasures headquarters asked anyone who visited the Itaewon club district between April 24 and last Wednesday to avoid contact with others and get tested, regardless of symptoms.

Authorities stressed that personal identities will be protected in the process. 

Earlier, the government issued an order for entertainment establishments to suspend business and follow quarantine rules for a month effective last Friday.

Both Seoul city and the Gyeonggi provincial government issued separate orders banning mass gatherings of people at such establishments with those who violate the ban to face strong countermeasures and penalties.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.