COVID-19 in Seoul's Itaewon cluster belongs to virus group typical for U.S., Europe: health authorities

A total of 219 coronavirus cases have now been linked to the nightclub cluster in Seoul's multicultural district of Itaewon, according to South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday.

The first case of the cluster dated back to May 6 when a 29-year-old man tested positive for the virus following his visits to multiple entertainment facilities in Itaewon.

The type of the coronavirus detected in those who have visited nightclubs in Itaewon, belongs to the group of COVID-19 varieties with a set of nucleotide sequences typical to that from Europe and the U.S., Jung Eun-Kyeong, director of the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said earlier.

Health authorities said they would continue to investigate the issue to determine the exact route of transmission of the virus.

Latest figures: South Korea now has 11,165 cases nationwide and 266 deaths, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.