30 idols get Covid: Viviz, Oh My Girls, Brave Girls, The Boyz members latest to test positive
With the pandemic getting under control in the last half of 2021, the world rejoiced as things started returning to normalcy. Emboldened, many K-pop acts even announced concerts and world tours like BTS, Monsta X, Ateez, NCT 127 and TWICE. However, following the new year outbreak, Omicron is causing havoc everywhere including the K-pop industry. In just 10 days, we have had 30 idols like Viviz’s Umji, Oh My Girls’ Yubin, Brave Girls’ Yuna and The Boyz members testing positive for Covid-19.
Since Omicron is not considered lethal as yet and many have already taken their third vaccine shot, South Korea has not implemented strict social distancing guidelines. But that has led to several idols contracting Covid-19 due to their crowded gigs. While we started getting news gradually of some idols falling sick from January 19, it has increased. Fans everywhere are worried as 13 idols tested positive in the last 24 hours.
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30 idols get Covid-19
The outbreak in K-pop began on January 19 with EPEX members A-min, Wish and Jeff testing positive followed by Super Junior’s Eunhyuk. A week later, iKON’s Jinhwan, Yunhyeong and Donghyuk fell sick followed by Winner’s Seung-hoon and Treasure’s Yoshi which meant six YG artists had tested positive. Along with them, on January 23, The Boyz’s Eric tested positive as he had come in close contact with a mutual acquaintance who had Covid-19. A day later, Hyolyn and her cast member Kim Donghan fell sick followed by the latter’s group members, Yongha, and Seokhwa of WEi also testing positive.
Cases increase in last 24 hours
On January 27, two The Boyz and Kep1er members also got the virus. Following Eric, Younghoon and Hyunjae of The Boyz tested positive followed by Kep1er’s Chaehyun and Youngeun. Hours later, Treasure’s Hyunsuk, Junkyu, Mashiho and iKON’s Chanwoo also tested positive. This makes five out of six iKON members who have got the virus. On the same day, former IZ*ONE leader Eunbi and Weeekly’s Jaehee also tested positive.
As of January 28, the cases have increased alarmingly. JuHaknyeon became the fourth The Boyz member to test positive. It was followed by the news that Brave Girls’ Yuna had got Covid-19. She had previously skipped the Gaon Chart Music Awards on January 27 as she was not feeling well. Oh My Girl’s Yubin and Viviz’s Umji have also got the virus for coming in close contact with a positive patient.
Following Kep1er Chaehyun’s news, her co-MC on ‘The Show’, Cravity’s Minhee tested negative however he will follow the social distancing rules till the incubation period is over. Drippin too has tested negative for coming in close contact with Eunbi but will monitor their activities. In the meantime, the reporters who asked Red Velvet to remove their masks on the red carpet of Gaon Chart Music Awards have been slammed while fans are reprimanding SF9’s Hwiyoung and Chani for visiting a restaurant after curfew hours to celebrate the latter’s birthday.
