[Report] Visiting Daegu Amid 'Mass Confirmed Cases'... "It Felt Like a Bomb Hit, No People Were Seen"

Daegu Shocked by COVID-19
Shincheonji Church Sees Few People
COVID-19 Fear Spreads to Daegu's Largest Entertainment District
Concerns Over Regional Impact

Sidewalk in front of Daegu Shincheonji Daegu Church, Nam-gu, Daegu

[Asia Economy (Daegu) = Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Around 6 p.m. on the 19th, the sidewalk in front of the Shincheonji Daegu Church in Nam-gu, Daegu, was sparsely populated. Although there is Daemyeong Station nearby, which usually has a large flow of people, and the church is usually crowded with hundreds of worshippers on service days, this day was different. Except for the reporters on site, pedestrians had disappeared. The few pedestrians seen here and there hurried along wearing masks and scarves.

◆ Daegu in shock as if 'hit by a bomb' = Nearby merchants unanimously said that foot traffic stopped after news spread that the 'super spreader,' the 31st patient (born in 1959, Korean woman), attended services on the 9th and 16th. Kwon Ki-jung (45), who runs a mart about 70 meters from the church, said, "Sales dropped by about 30% in just two days, yesterday and today, after the media reports related to the 31st patient poured in," adding, "It feels as if Daegu was hit by a bomb; you can't see people going outside." A convenience store employee nearby sighed, saying, "Since the church closed, there are no worshippers or pedestrians."

Around 6 PM on the 19th, at the Shincheonji Daegu Church in Nam-gu, Daegu

Until the appearance of the 31st patient, Daegu was a clean area free from the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), but it was engulfed in fear and shock. The fear of COVID-19 is even greater because it is unknown when and where the 31st patient was infected with the virus, and how many people she came into contact with. Citizen Kim Soo-young (29) said, "Because of the fear that the COVID-19 virus could be transmitted by anyone, I refrain from going outside," adding, "I always wear a mask when I have to go out." Kim (54), who runs a restaurant near the Shincheonji Daegu Church, said, "There is a great fear of community transmission. When delivering, I wear a mask and try to avoid contact with customers," shaking his hands to emphasize.

Around 9 PM on the 19th in Daegu Dongseong-ro

◆ "If it continues until summer, the local economy will be hit" = The fear of community transmission of COVID-19 spread to the center of Daegu. Around 9 p.m. that day, the busiest downtown areas, Jungang-ro and Dongseong-ro, where pubs, restaurants, and clothing stores are concentrated, saw a significant decrease in foot traffic despite it being a weekday. Some restaurants and pubs were not operating at all. Kim (25), an employee at pub A, said, "It's been three hours since opening, but we haven't had a single customer at any table. Nearby pubs have also seen a big drop in customers," expressing difficulty. Cafe employee Jo Su-rim (22) shook her head, saying, "The number of customers visiting the store today has dropped by more than half compared to usual." A convenience store with a sign on the entrance saying "No Mask, No Entry" was also noticeable. Convenience store employee Kim Ga-ryeong (25) said, "Some customers bought more than 20 masks at once," adding, "Currently, all stock is sold out."

Daegu, hit directly by COVID-19, is more worried about the future. There are concerns that the local economy could collapse as foot traffic sharply decreases. Dozens of taxis near Jungang-ro were parked for long periods without finding customers. Taxi driver Lee Jong-muk (71) said, "Compared to Monday, the number of passengers has halved," adding, "COVID-19 is expected to continue until summer, and it looks bleak to make a living going forward." On the morning of the 20th, 30 additional confirmed cases were reported in Daegu and Gyeongbuk alone.