Coronavirus: South Korea grapples with new infection clusters a month after easing social distancing rules
- South Korea was initially praised as a model for containing the pandemic, but has struggled to tackle new clusters after social distancing rules were eased
- A string of new infections traced back to small churches in Seoul has stirred memories of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus cluster earlier this year
Lee Hoan-jong, an emeritus professor at Seoul National University Children’s Hospital, said South Korea had been among the first countries to get the virus under control and ease social distancing regulations, but this involved a “trade-off” between public health and keeping the economy afloat.
“The stricter the lockdown, the smaller the number of daily new cases. And there are always hidden pockets of infections that are hard to detect”, he said, adding that no country can afford to impose a strict lockdown indefinitely. “It appears that the South Korean government is also taking a measured approach to keep this balance.”
On Thursday it reported its biggest spike in new infections in nearly two months, but Tuesday’s increase fell to 38 new cases. All but two of these were caused by community transmission in the capital and its surrounding areas, according to the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sohn Young-rae, a senior health official, told a press briefing that “another wave of infections is feared to roar in” if the virus continues spreading in the capital area – home to almost half the country’s population and large numbers of commuters.
“We must cut off this chain of infections in the metropolitan area,” Sohn said, urging residents of Seoul to refrain from socialising and visiting restaurants or bars until the end of the week.
South Korea was initially praised as a model for containing the pandemic. By combining aggressive tracing and testing with near-obligatory use of face masks, social distancing and clampdowns on hotspots, it successfully slowed the number of infections from several hundred per day in late February and early March to less than a dozen in early May.
Most recently, a string of new infections traced back to small churches in Seoul and the wider metropolitan area has stirred memories of earlier this year, when thousands of infections were linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a minor Christian sect.
At least 24 new cases have now emerged from a small church in Incheon, where worshippers would crowd together in a small room to chant without wearing face masks – leading to more than 70 per cent of those taking part catching the virus, said Sohn, the health official.
Of those infected, 17 showed few symptoms at first, which Sohn said could have encouraged them to let their guard down.
“Quarantine is not optional … and it must be part of our normal life”, he said.
But small churches, many already struggling financially, have found it hard to secure large enough venues to allow for social distancing, while some Bible study groups have reportedly been ignoring official advice.
Health authorities in the country have urged church-goers to refrain from face-to-face meetings until the risk of infection has eased.
“In-person Bible study, prayer meetings and group trips should be curbed until infection risks fall in the capital area, where local transmissions are spreading,” said Jeong Eun-kyung, director of the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, adding that officials may have to resort to administrative measures if quarantine guidelines are not strictly followed.
Incheon City said it plans to tighten inspections of 4,234 religious facilities in its jurisdiction and is considering imposing a set of mandatory quarantine rules at such facilities.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
