Coronavirus latest: South Korea fears mass outbreak as church cluster grows; Indonesia’s Jakarta uses coffin as warning

Name: South Korea sees biggest coronavirus outbreak in five months with cases linked to church protest
Uploaded: 2020-08-19T06:38:31.000Z
Duration: 1 min 27 s
Description: South Korea sees biggest coronavirus outbreak in five months with cases linked to church protest

The country has reported 297 new infections, of which at least 140 were from the Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul

Meanwhile, New Zealand has tightened its borders, Nepal’s capital is again locked down, and Jakarta trials shock tactics to remind people of health rules

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South Korea is working to prevent a mass outbreak stemming from a church cluster in Seoul. Photo: dpa

Agencies

Published: 2:38pm, 19 Aug 2020Updated: 9:17pm, 19 Aug 2020

South Korea on Wednesday reported its highest daily rise in coronavirus cases since March, as outbreaks from churches around Seoul spread, prompting fears of a nationwide wave of infections.

The 297 new cases mark the sixth straight day of triple-digit increases, taking the national tally to 16,058 infections with 306 deaths, according to data from health authorities.

Nearly 90 per cent of the new cases appeared in the capital, Seoul, and surrounding areas, raising concern of the rapid spread of the virus in a metropolitan area of more than 25 million people.

The government cannot contain the current spread only with tracing and isolation … please stay at home

Kim Gang-lip, Vice Health Minister

“We’re in a desperately dangerous crisis where infections are spreading in the Seoul metropolitan area and threatening to lead to a massive nationwide transmission,” Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said.

“The government cannot contain the current spread only with tracing and isolation … please stay at home unless you must go out.”

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South Korea sees biggest coronavirus outbreak in five months with cases linked to church protest

At least 140 of the new infections are linked to the Sarang Jeil Church, taking the number of cases from it to nearly 600.

Authorities are trying to trace another 600 members of the church’s congregation and would like to test all its 4,000 members, Kim said.