K-pop idols from groups SEVENTEEN, ITZY and CRAVITY have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
On February 12, Pledis Entertainment released a statement sharing that SEVENTEEN member Wonwoo had been diagnosed with the coronavirus. The idol had experienced a sore throat and mild fever the day before, and his PCR test later confirmed that he had contracted COVID-19.
According to Pledis, Wonwoo’s symptoms are mild enough for him to manage by himself while in self-quarantine at home. The remaining members of SEVENTEEN had not come into contact with him, except for Hoshi, who is currently awaiting his PCR results while in self-quarantine.
JYP Entertainment has also shared that ITZY members Lia and Yeji have also tested positive for COVID-19, on February 12 and 14, respectively. The group’s remaining three members have so far received negative results on self-test kits, and also underwent additional PCR testing as a precaution.
Additionally, Newsen has reported that seven members of Starship Entertainment boyband CRAVITY have also been diagnosed with COVID-19. The nine-member act had undergone both self-administered and PCR testing after member Taeyoung experienced a fever on the night of February 11.
Members Serim, Allen, Jungmo, Minhee, Hyeongjun, Taeyoung and Seongmin were later diagnosed with the virus. According to the agency, via Soompi, they are now in self-quarantine and only experiencing mild symptoms. Meanwhile, uninfected members Woobin and Wonjin remain in self-quarantine.
All three agencies had shared in their statements that the affected idols had received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. This news is the latest in a wave of infections affecting the South Korean entertainment industry, with several other idols and entertainers testing positive in recent weeks.