Coronavirus: South Korea hit with resurgence of church-linked infection clusters

The country recorded a daily tally of 50-plus cases for the first time in more than two weeks on Wednesday, 35 of which were locally transmitted
Many of the clusters have been traced back to small churches in the capital region that have been struggling to implement antivirus measures

Coronavirus South Korea

Park Chan-kyong

Published: 5:01pm, 12 Aug 2020

Why you can trust SCMP

For the first time in more than two weeks, South Korea’s daily tally of new coronavirus cases spiked above 50 on Wednesday, as more infections linked to churches emerged in the densely populated capital and its surrounds.

The additional 54 cases, including 35 locally transmitted infections, marked the first time since July 26 that the daily virus tally had risen so high – bringing the total national caseload to 14,714, according to the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

How two Korean Covid-19 survivors repaid medical staff – in blood

Kim Kang-lip, vice-minister for health, told a press briefing on Wednesday that infection clusters which recently began “with small churches in the Seoul metropolitan area” had spread “to large markets and shopping centres, raising concerns over possible mass infections down the road”.

Of the 35 local transmitted infections – the highest daily tally in 20 days – all but three were reported in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, which encircles the capital. The remaining three occurred in the southeastern city of Busan.

A health worker wearing protective gear takes a swab sample from a woman in Seoul on Monday. Photo: AP

All 19 imported cases had either been detected during screening on arrival or while they were undergoing their two-week quarantine.

The recent flare-up, which represents an 18-fold increase from a daily low of just three locally transmitted infections on August 3, has been linked to a number of clusters arising from small churches in the capital area.

South Koreans put cash in washing machines, ovens to rid it of virus

Banseok Church, in the northwestern sub-city of Goyang, has been the source of 33 new cases since Thursday, when one of its congregation tested positive. Nine infections among traders at the popular Namdaemun Market in central Seoul and a day care centre in Goyang were subsequently traced back to the church.

Similar outbreaks have occurred since last Tuesday at a church in Gimpo city, west of Seoul, and at another small church in Goyang.

A banner promoting social distancing and urging people to wash their hands and wear a mask is seen at a park in Goyang last month. Photo: AP

Churches have proved to be a recurring headache for South Korea in its battle against the pandemic – not least the secretive Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which at one point was the source of the most of the country’s infections and whose leader was arrested this month on suspicion of obstructing virus containment efforts.

But while many larger churches have successfully implemented antivirus measures such as social distancing and mandatory mask-wearing – or even started offering their services online – smaller ones often do not have the space to prevent worshippers from coming into close contact, and would struggle to stay afloat if they ceased offline meetings given their reliance on cash donations.

A ban on religious gatherings, other than regular worship services, was lifted by the authorities on July 24 – although they have said this might be brought back if case numbers continue to rise.

01:26

South Korea battling a ‘second wave’ of coronavirus infections, Seoul health officials say

Meanwhile, South Korea and the United States will kick off their annual joint military exercises this weekend, absent any troops who would have to travel from the US given that the country is now the epicentre of the pandemic.

The 12-day computer-simulated drills will start on Sunday, with participants socially distanced and night activities minimised, Yonhap news agency reported.

There are about 28,500 US troops based in South Korea. At least 65 imported coronavirus cases have been confirmed among the soldiers, other employees or their family members since July – all of which were detected upon arrival or while they were in two-week mandatory quarantine.

Post