Tracking Cell Phone Base Stations... Filtering Visitors Within 100m Radius of Club

Three Major Telecoms Share Base Station Connection Data Near 5 Clubs
Over 100 Cumulative COVID-19 Cases in 6 Days... Testing the Quarantine System

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Jo Hyun-ui, Jo Seul-gi] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) originating from Itaewon clubs increases, concerns about community spread are intensifying. Although some have not visited the Itaewon area, secondary and tertiary infections presumed to have occurred through contact with club visitors are spreading, raising the risk of sporadic cluster infections that could escalate like the past Shincheonji Church incident.

Since late last month through early this month, quarantine authorities have expanded the scope of diagnostic testing to include not only those who visited the Itaewon area but also their family members and coworkers, implementing a strong response. Along with tracking visitors, local governments are enabling anonymous testing to encourage those at high risk of infection to come forward using a carrot-and-stick strategy.

◆ Government: "Quarantine system on the test bench"= According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on the 12th, as of 10 a.m., the total number of confirmed cases related to Itaewon clubs stands at 101. The number exceeded 100 within six days since the 6th, as related cases continued to be reported in various regions including Busan after midnight when the count was 93. Confirmed cases are increasing sporadically nationwide, centered on visitors, not only in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area but across the country.

The problem lies in secondary infections spreading at the community level. After new cases had slowed at the end of last month, signals to ease social distancing were sent both inside and outside the government, leading to increased nationwide movement during the holiday period, with transmissions confirmed among family, acquaintances, and workplaces. A confirmed case in their 20s in Suwon was a coworker of someone who had visited an Itaewon club and tested positive. Confirmed cases in their 80s in Incheon and 50s in Bucheon were infected by family members who had visited clubs. In the military, there was a case of infection without visiting Itaewon.

From the day before, the government changed guidelines to allow diagnostic testing for those who visited places where confirmed cases occurred or who live with family or in the same facility and exhibit symptoms such as fever or cough, considering community spread like the Itaewon club case. Park Neung-hoo, First Deputy Director of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), said at a briefing that day, "Our quarantine system is on the test bench due to the Itaewon club cluster infection that occurred during the holiday period," adding, "To minimize further community spread, we are responding quickly and extensively by utilizing all available resources to find visitors and conduct diagnostic testing."

On the 11th, citizens who visited the screening clinic set up at Yongsan-gu Public Health Center in Seoul, amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19 originating from Itaewon clubs, are lining up to get tested. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

◆ List of those within 100m of base stations to be delivered today= As tracking through visit records has become difficult, quarantine authorities are mobilizing all available administrative power, including analyzing mobile phone connection records and credit card usage history. The three mobile carriers agreed to deliver mobile phone information connected to base stations around Itaewon clubs by today at the earliest, covering the period around the recent holiday. While it is difficult to confirm direct club visits, the range can be narrowed down to within 100 meters of nearby base stations.

SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus have been checking connection information from dozens of base stations near five clubs and pubs in Itaewon ? King Club, Trunk, Queen, Soho, and Him ? in response to the quarantine authorities' information requests. They are compiling lists of individuals who may have visited the clubs by reviewing all mobile phone numbers connected to base stations near the clubs and excluding those connected while in vehicles or local residents.

Quarantine authorities and local governments plan to compare the mobile phone information from the previously secured club visitor lists with the carrier base station data to verify whether the actual users of those phones were in the Itaewon area during the suspected COVID-19 infection times. Additionally, they will check the possibility of visits by those on the club visitor lists who did not respond or who claimed not to have visited the clubs based on this data.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.