South Korea LGBT stigma complicates coronavirus testing as new cases rise

A new outbreak linked to clubs popular with the gay community in central Seoul’s Itaewon district is challenging South Korea’s gradual reopening

Authorities are trying to contact 3,000 patrons but hostility against members of the LGBT community could make them reluctant to come forward

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People wearing protective face masks walk through the Itaewon district in Seoul. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 4:30pm, 11 May 2020Updated: 1:54pm, 12 May 2020

South Korean authorities are racing to track down thousands of people potentially linked to a new coronavirus cluster in a Seoul nightlife district which has raised fears about a “second wave of infections”.

The country has been widely praised for its efforts to contain its coronavirus outbreak but has reported a renewed increase in cases linked to clubs and bars popular with the LGBT community in the Itaewon neighbourhood.

Officials said the Itaewon outbreak originated with a 29-year-old man who visited clubs and bars in the area earlier this month before testing positive on Friday. Authorities have since tested 4,000 people who patronised Itaewon nightspots, but were still trying to contact about 3,000 more.

Officials reported 35 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, the biggest single-day rise since April 9, bringing the nation’s total number of infections to 10,909, according to the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The nation’s death toll remained unchanged at 256.

The KCDC said 9,632 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus, up 22 from a day earlier, representing 88 per cent of patients.

South Korea had successfully contained the number of new infections to fewer than 15 per day since the middle of last month, leading to the easing of social distancing guidelines.

However, the Itaewon outbreak has interrupted the country’s gradual reopening. The Health Ministry said 79 people have tested positive in connection with Itaewon, including people who travelled to the capital but have since returned home.

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