13 of 15 New Confirmed Cases in Daegu and Gyeongbuk Areas
Central Disease Control Headquarters Dispatches Special Task Force to Daegu Region
On the morning of the 19th, amid reports of numerous confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the Daegu area, the emergency room of Kyungpook National University Hospital in Jung-gu, Daegu, was closed.
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the 19th at 9 a.m. that 15 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported. Accordingly, the total number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in the country has increased to 46.
According to the KCDC, among the 15 newly confirmed patients, 13 were from the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions. Of these, 11 were confirmed to be linked to the 31st confirmed patient.
It was investigated that 7 confirmed patients attended the same Shincheonji Church as the 31st confirmed patient.
As the 31st COVID-19 patient in Daegu was found to have visited the Shincheonji Church of Jesus (Shincheonji), Shincheonji decided to suspend all worship services and gatherings nationwide for the time being. Additionally, the church visited by the confirmed patient was closed and disinfection measures were taken.
According to the KCDC and Daegu City, the 31st confirmed patient, Ms. A (61, female), who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on this day, attended worship services for about two hours each on the 9th and 16th at the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Tabernacle of the Testimony Daedeok Branch Daegu Church (Shincheonji Daegu Church) located in Nam-gu, Daegu. It was reported that she visited the church during outings from the hospital where she was admitted on both occasions.
On the afternoon of the 18th, health and hygiene department infection control team officials from the public health center conducted disinfection work at Dongmyo Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the residence of the 29th domestic patient infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). [Image source=Yonhap News]
Ms. A is known to have attended worship with about 460 church members at the Shincheonji Daegu Church sanctuary for approximately two hours from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on the 16th.
She also attended worship at the same time on the 9th, but the exact number of believers present in the sanctuary at that time has not yet been determined. On that day, Ms. A took the elevator to the 4th-floor sanctuary.
After the 31st confirmed patient was identified as a Shincheonji member, Shincheonji announced on its website on the same day, stating, "Today (the 18th), a member of the Shincheonji Daegu Church was confirmed to have COVID-19," and "To protect the health and safety of our members and local residents, all churches nationwide will suspend all worship services and gatherings for the time being and replace them with online or home worship."
They added, "If anyone visited the Shincheonji Daegu Church on the 9th or 16th, please self-quarantine and refrain from activities as much as possible."
They also stated, "Shincheonji will actively comply with government policies and will strongly respond to false and distorted reports related to COVID-19 rumors."
Meanwhile, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and the Central Accident Response Headquarters explained, "A special task force has been dispatched to the Daegu area," and "Emergency disinfection measures are being implemented in cooperation with the local government."
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