Coronavirus: South Korea bans all religious meetings in ‘last ditch’ bid to quash new outbreak

Pastor who leads the Sarang Jeil church, which is at the centre of the recent outbreak, dismissed social distancing advice and has since tested positive

Infections linked to the church have increased to 457, reminiscent of the outbreak involving the secretive Shincheonji church earlier this year

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Public officials disinfect a church in South Korea. Photo: AP

Published: 5:45pm, 18 Aug 2020Updated: 10:00pm, 18 Aug 2020

South Korea on Tuesday shut down all religious gatherings in Seoul after the latest cluster linked to a church stirred memories of the country’s initial outbreak earlier this year. Nightclubs, karaoke rooms, buffet restaurants, computer gaming cafes and other “high-risk” facilities will also be shut.

There were 246 new cases confirmed on Tuesday, including 235 local transmissions and 11 imported cases, bringing its total caseload to 15,761, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.

“This is our last ditch for defence against the virus. If we fail to stop it this time, we would be left with no further ammunition,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said, urging residents to observe social distancing.

Of the 235 locally transmitted cases, 138 were traced to the Sarang Jeil church in northern Seoul, where pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, his wife and his assistant all tested positive on Monday despite Jeon’s insistence that “the fire of the holy spirit” would protect his followers.

Infections linked to the church have increased to 457, reminiscent of the outbreak involving the secretive Shincheonji church, which accounted for most of South Korea’s cases in February and March.

“The size of infections in the Seoul metropolitan area, especially the cluster at the Sarang Jeil church, is quite alarming,” said KCDC deputy head Kwon Jun-wook. “We are possibly facing a greater crisis than the Shincheonji outbreak.”

The latest infections are believed to be the so-called GH genetic strain, which is more infectious than earlier Shincheonji-linked cases, health authorities said.

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