S. Korea in early stage of ‘large-scale’ outbreak

Aug 18, 2020, 09:19 am

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Jun Kwang-hoon, the head pastor of Seoul’s Sarang Jeil Church, has tested positive for COVID-19.

AsiaToday reporter Jang Ji-young

New coronavirus infections linked to churches in Seoul and its neighboring areas continued to surge on Monday, with cases linked to Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul reaching 319. Health authorities voice concern that the number of virus cases tied to the church may further rise as only half of the 4,000 churchgoes have been screened. In the meantime, the church’s head pastor Jun Kwang-hoon tested positive for the coronavirus.

Health authorities expressed strong concern, judging that the current situation is in an “early stage of large-scale community outbreaks.” The government has always warned that the virus can spread rapidly any moment in a weak moment. However, many criticize that the recent temporary national holidays designated by the government for virus-weary people have rather become another hotbed of COVID-19 infections. South Korea reported a total of 745 cases of COVID-19 from Aug. 14 to 17.

The virus is especially spreading at churches. The worst outbreak has been at the Sarang Jeil Church, where 312 cases have been identified so far. Among the cases, 209 cases are confirmed in Seoul. Though the number of infections is still much lower than the Shincheonji-related 5,214 cases, it is already the second-largest cluster of COVID-19 infections in the country.

Authorities warn the current outbreak could be more dangerous than the Shincheonji- or Itaewon club-related cluster infections. This is in part because the virus is spreading simultaneously in multiple locations, whereas the country’s spring outbreak mainly stemmed from a single, accurate source.

Jung Eun-kyeong, director of the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said in a briefing that the current situation in the capital area is graver than that in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, citing difficulties tracing people who came into contact with patients.

Multiple clusters with secondary transmission of the virus, including call centers, child care facilities and nursing hospitals, are growing across the nation. “There are so many people and places exposed to the virus, and full test is in progress” Jung said. “If the confirmation is delayed, secondary and tertiary transmission can occur. Therefore, it is important to take an accurate virus test and keep self-quarantine rules.”

Health officials confirmed Monday that pastor Jun Kwang-hoon was diagnosed with COVID-19. The pastor participated in a Liberation Day rally last Saturday even after receiving notification of self-isolation. “Jun needs to be treated in an isolation ward at a hospital. People who have come in close contact with him at the rally should be isolated and get tested immediately,” a health authority said. The details of when and where he underwent the test have not yet been confirmed.

Meanwhile, multiple members of the world’s largest Protestant church located in Seoul have reportedly contracted COVID-19. Around 10 parishioners of Yoido Full Gospel Church and their family members tested positive for the virus. Many of them were known to have caught the virus while serving on the church’s chorus team, raising the possibility that more cases will emerge from the chuch.

The number of new cases marked a three-digit number for the fourth straight day, following 279 infections Sunday and 166 Saturday. Alarmed by a resurgence of infections in recent days, the government raised social distancing in the capital area by one notch to Level 2 in the three-tier system for two weeks from Sunday.

#South Korea #COVID-19 #Sarang Jeil Church #Jun Kwang-hoon