Corona cluster and EPIK teachers 'storm' in Gangwondo

http://m.kwnews.co.kr/nview.asp?s=501&aid=220051100125

^ Here is an article published today in a paper in Gangwon-do.

A rough translation =

55 out of 329 Gangwondo EPIK teachers visited Itaewon over the holiday period… As a
result of a recent census of the regions EPIK teachers.

Many of the native English teachers in Gangwon-do recently visited the Itaewon area in Seoul, where the corona19 group infection began, spreading anxiety within the region.

The provincial city and county education and support office surveyed the presence or absence of visiting Itaewon in Seoul from April 25th to May  6th for 329 native and secondary teachers working at schools in preemptive prevention.
 
It was confirmed that 55 out of 329 native teachers and assistant teachers visited Itaewon. No club visitors have been identified as infectious agents to date, and corona19 tests have all confirmed negative.

However, fake news is spreading in some communities that 'the native teachers visited the Itaewon Club'. In Hongcheon-gun, when such misinformation was spread through SNS, etc., the quarantine authorities urged to refrain from disseminating the facts with the promise of “sharing the test results through text messages”.

Rumors that a native English teacher at a middle school in Wonju received a corona19 positive test also turned out to be fake news. In some areas, telephone calls to ask whether or not to test for Corona19, a native English teacher, or to urge students to postpone school are being hit by the Office of Education. In the East Sea region, a citizen visited the club of Itaewon between the evening of the 2nd and the dawn of the 3rd, one day after the confirmation of Yongin 66, but was also judged as 'voice' on the 11th.

It has been reported that a large number of visitors to Itaewon came out as a community meeting of native English teacher teachers was held in Itaewon during the last holiday period. In the case of those concerned, quarantine and education authorities in Tokyo are responding to the incident, including self-isolation.

In some areas, native teachers share the articles. In the school where the native teacher who visited Itaewon served, the teachers were ordered to work from home.

Each screening clinic in the province conducts a corona19 test for visitors to Itaewon. On the 11th, 10 people in Chuncheon and 53 people in Wonju were examined, and there were no confirmed cases.

This has really angered some of the general public. I think at best some people may not be re-signed, at worst a 'they' approach is taken.....

Now would not be the best time to talk about summer vacation with your principals.   

Yeah, this makes total sense with a lot of the behaviors I've been seeing coming from a lot of the people where I'm at. They all seem to think that this latest clusterfuck is foreigner-originated and foreigner-spread, and a lot of them don't seem to know (or at least won't admit) that the majority of people turning up positive for covid are Korean who caught it from other Koreans.

A few of them didn't even seem to know that patient 66 is Korean, even though there's a ton of info out there confirming that he is.

Only 329 EPIK teachers in all of Gangwondo? If that’s true there’s been massive cutbacks. One in six went to Itaewon during the holiday weekend?

The majority of NETs are young, just out of college, and they haven't gone out anywhere in a long time thanks to this virus, so, after the government began relaxing social distancing rules, it's very possible that groups of NETs living in the same area could have talked about finally traveling up to Seoul and having a night out after having been stuck at home for so long. They probably felt safe and comfortable about it since the number of new infections had been 0 for some consecutive days.

Updated news story here: http://m.kwnews.co.kr/sokbo_view.asp?aid=AKR20200512059300062&n=0&s=8

Another rough translation:

Two native teachers working in schools in Gangwon-do recently visited the Itaewon Club, known as the site of the spread of the new type of coronavirus infection (corona19).

Gangwon-do Office of Education conducted a total survey of 329 people, including 274 native speakers and 55 assistant teachers, by the morning of the 12th May. As a result, a total of 61 people went to Itaewon from April 24th to May 6th.

Most of them simply visited Itaewon to eat, but six people used clubs and taverns, and two of them visited the club in question.

Six teachers using clubs and taverns were reported to have had a negative result.

Provincial health authorities are inspecting all 61 teachers visiting Itaewon. Thirty people were judged negative by the morning.

The provincial office of education instructed them to quarantine and work at home for 14 days even after they had been judged negative.

Along with this, the staff of the school was allowed to work from home until the native teacher received test results.

The emergency care class will not be operated until the teacher visiting Itaewon receives a negative decision.

According to the Provincial Office of Education, there are a total of 60 schools in the province where native teachers from Itaewon visit.

I foresee stormy seas ahead.

I mentioned this at the time that I went to and from Seoul in my car (for reasons I wrote) on Buddha's Birthday, and witnessed Chuseok-style traffic of Seoulites leaving for that period.  Was kind of inevitable that something like this would happen.

I met my Korean teacher friend and he said there is a kind of mindset with the Korean teachers that they don't want the shame of being 'the one' who brings it to their school.  You'd have the ire of the parents + the other teachers. 

The majority of NETs are young, just out of college, and they haven't gone out anywhere in a long time thanks to this virus, so, after the government began relaxing social distancing rules, it's very possible that groups of NETs living in the same area could have talked about finally traveling up to Seoul and having a night out after having been stuck at home for so long. They probably felt safe and comfortable about it since the number of new infections had been 0 for some consecutive days.

Just to be clear, the social distancing guidelines were relaxed starting from May 6th.

Just to be clear, the social distancing guidelines were relaxed starting from May 6th.

You're right, I'm confusing my dates here. The night on the town probably had a lot more to do with the fact that it was a holiday weekend. But people were still following relaxed social distancing guidelines (or outright ignoring them) before the government officially relaxed them.

Why were the clubs open? Well, because the owners wanted money. How could this be the foreigners’ fault? Most of the costumers were Korean. How many NETs have tested positive? Zero? Then why are people freaking out about them? But if one does test positive - a single one in all of Korea - oh Lord! Things bout to get crazy!

Most of the costumers...

Oglop?  Kyndo?  Is that you? 

Only 329 EPIK teachers in all of Gangwondo? If that’s true there’s been massive cutbacks. One in six went to Itaewon during the holiday weekend?

That is a lot. Gangwon-do is huge, but there's NO ONE there.

Oglop?  Kyndo?  Is that you? 

not me. i was busy washing my furry costume

not me. i was busy washing my furry costume

How many public schools in Gangwondo? It’s gotta be a lot. Thousands? I do believe there’s been NET cutbacks there.

Another update: http://m.kwnews.co.kr/sokbo_view.asp?aid=AKR20200512086400017&n=0&s=4

About 2,000 out of 5,500 people who visited the Itaewon Club in Seoul, where a new infection of coronavirus infection (corona19) occurred, was found to be out of reach.

To prevent further expansion of Corona 19, the government has mobilized all available resources such as base station information and card payment information to focus on finding Itaewon club visitors from April 24th. The number of confirmed persons related to Itaewon Club has increased to 93.

At the regular briefing of the Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Secondary Capital) held at the Sejong Government Complex, Tae-Ho Yoon, head of the Central Accident Prevention Headquarters, announced the current status and actions of each local government related to the Itaewon Club collective infection.

Seoul City has secured a list of 5,517 visitors from 5 clubs in Itaewon from April 24 to May 6 to identify and verify the identity of visitors.

Of these, 2,405 were called in person to complete the investigation. About 1,130 of the remaining 3,112 who didn't answer the phone have sent out text messages.

About 1,982 people who can't be contacted are being checked through base station information and club card payment information. The Yongsan Police Station also secured closed circuit CCTV data to support epidemiological investigations.

The government provides free corona19 diagnostic tests to people who visited the Itaewon area from April 24 to May 6. Accordingly, the number of inspections doubled.

Diagnostic tests, which were at the level of 4,000 to 5,000 per day, increased to 12,398 the previous day. To date, there have been over 7,000 inspections in progress involving visitors to Itaewon nightlife.

In particular, Seoul and Jeollabuk-do allowed visitors to the Itaewon club to undergo diagnostic tests without worrying about their identity. If you wish, you can check your phone number without writing your name.

The government is mobilizing methods such as checking credit card sales slips by businesses and checking CCTVs to identify visitors.

The National Police Agency has established an emergency response team operation system of 8,559 nationwide. Through this, we plan to identify club visitors whose location is not confirmed.

Yoon said that the quarantine authorities will strictly protect and respect personal information. In the meantime, he said that he would respond to those who do not cooperate with epidemiological investigations with the help of the police through CCTV investigations.

"I understand that some people are reluctant to test because of criticism of the entrepreneur and concerns about unnecessary exposure of personal information," he said. "Because we protect personal information thoroughly, if you suspect virus exposure, please be sure to get tested." I'm giving it. "

In particular, "This Itaewon Club group infection is a situation where there is a high risk of further infection spread because there are many young people in their 20s and 30s and do not have any symptoms or mild external awareness." There are cases of infection, so care must be taken not to spread the infection to the elderly. ”

Just got words from my fellow Korean teacher.

Said the Korean public is in fume and demands that the entire NET program be eliminated. They're already complaining that during this entire fiasco, we're basically useless because we're not doing any work (which may apply to many but not all because I've been working my butt off every single day making online class materials since they announced to hold classes online.)

Every year the public complains and complains about shutting down the program and every year, the Office of Education cuts back positions in order to compromise. This situation has now put the entire NET population on a very thin thread.

I was looking to renew this year, even had the talk with my coteacher who wants me to renew, but with this situation happening I'm not sure if it will happen.

Just got words from my fellow Korean teacher.

Said the Korean public is in fume and demands that the entire NET program be eliminated. They're already complaining that during this entire fiasco, we're basically useless because we're not doing any work (which may apply to many but not all because I've been working my butt off every single day making online class materials since they announced to hold classes online.)

Every year the public complains and complains about shutting down the program and every year, the Office of Education cuts back positions in order to compromise. This situation has now put the entire NET population on a very thin thread.

I was looking to renew this year, even had the talk with my coteacher who wants me to renew, but with this situation happening I'm not sure if it will happen.

Forget public sentiment, and I've heard nothing of the sort where I am, the concern should be with the shrinking economy and looming recession will there be any money for NETs no matter how much you're wanted or not?

I remember there was once talk of cancelling as well after a teacher wanted by the FBI was found to be hiding here in Korea. Every now and then public uproar gets vented towards migukins and then all of a sudden an extra document or health check is required. But this is Korea, where professors have fake Harvard diplomas and have others publish for them, remember?

Nothing really matters...Nothing really matters...

I remember there was once talk of cancelling as well after a teacher wanted by the FBI was found to be hiding here in Korea. Every now and then public uproar gets vented towards migukins and then all of a sudden an extra document or health check is required. But this is Korea, where professors have fake Harvard diplomas and have others publish for them, remember?

I really hope the US withdraws the military from Korea..they don't deserve anything protection.  They are a shadow of China.

I remember there was once talk of cancelling as well after a teacher wanted by the FBI was found to be hiding here in Korea.

The....what?!? Really?