Asia Today: South Korea, China report rise in infections

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea on Sunday reported 34 additional cases of the coronavirus amid a spate of infections linked to clubgoers, as President Moon Jae-in urged calm saying “there’s no reason to stand still out of fear."

Figures released by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took national totals to 10,874 with 256 deaths. The agency said 9,610 have recovered and 10,128 others were being tested for the virus.

The agency said 26 of the 34 new patients were locally transmitted cases while the others came from overseas. South Korean media reported it was the first time that the daily jump has marked above 30 in about a month.

Most of the cases in the past few days were linked to nightclubs in Seoul’s Itaewon entertainment neighborhood. A 29-year-old man had visited three clubs before testing positive last week.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Saturday ordered more than 2,100 nightclubs, hostess bars and discos closed and urged others to enforce anti-virus measures, including distancing, temperature checks, keeping customer lists and requiring employees to wear masks.

"The infection cluster, which recently occurred in entertainment facilities, has raised awareness that even during the stabilization phase, similar situations can arise again, anytime, anywhere in an enclosed, crowded space,” Moon said.

“We must never lower our guard regarding epidemic prevention,” he said, adding his country had “the right quarantine and medical systems combined with experience to respond quickly to any unexpected infection clusters that might occur.”

Moon said his government will concentrate all its capabilities on overcoming the economic damage, which he described as “colossal.”

“We cannot survive if we fail to turn this crisis into an...