BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Singer Chungha Went to Milan Fashion Week Where 2 Staff Members Caught Coronavirus

March 3, 2020

K-pop artist Chungha was placed in quarantine after two of her staff members tested positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) while attending Milan Fashion Week where many South Korean celebrities were present, including BLACKPINK’s Lisa.

MNH Entertainment, the 24-year-old artist’s agency, confirmed the situation in a statement released on March 1, according to Soompi.

“Our artist Chungha returned home from a scheduled activity in Italy on February 24. One of the staff members who accompanied her showed signs of fever and tested positive for COVID-19,” the statement reads.

“We immediately made Chungha and all accompanying personnel go into self-isolation and had them tested. One more staff member tested positive for the virus, and we are taking the appropriate action for it.”

Other staff members, including Chungha, whose real name is Kim Chung-ha, tested negative on March 1. Even though they tested negative, the K-pop star and other staff members would still need to go into self-isolation as requested by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition, MNH Entertainment has canceled all of Chungha’s upcoming activities.

“For the sake of safety, all scheduled activities have been canceled for the time being, and we will continue to take the best possible measures and deal with [the virus] faithfully.”

BLACKPINK member Lisa, South Korean actresses Song Hye-kyo and Park Min-young, as well as singer and actress IU, were also present at the event and stayed at the same hotel as Chungha and her staff, AsiaOne reported. They were also occasionally present together during the trip.

According to Soompi, actress Han Ye Seul’s agency Partners Park, stated, “Han Ye Seul and all of her staff members do not have any issues with their health,” and added, “If even slight symptoms arise, they will be tested immediately.”

Park Min Young’s agency Namoo Actors, said, “Park Min Young did not have any flights, hotels, routes, or staff overlapping with the confirmed cases.”

It added, “There are currently no symptoms. We contacted a health center as preemptive action, but she is not a subject of testing or self-isolation. However, we were advised to look out for any development.”

There has been no official word from BLACKPINK’s agency, YG Entertainment, or from the other celebrities who attended the event yet, which ran from Feb. 18-24.

South Korea now has 5,186 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 28 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Feature Image (left) via @lalalalisa_m, (right) via @chungha_official

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