Korea's Large COVID-19 Church Cluster Infection Unusual...Foreign Media Also Take Notice

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] In South Korea, over 50 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) occurred in a single day, drawing significant attention from foreign media as a major news story. Notably, most of these additional infections were among congregants of large churches, which was considered unusual. However, citing the World Health Organization (WHO), reports indicated that since these cases occurred within a specific, isolated group, the Korean government is expected to manage the situation effectively.

On the 20th (local time), foreign media outlets such as Bloomberg and CNBC simultaneously reported that 53 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in South Korea the previous day, with 43 of them linked to large churches. Prior to this, the only instance outside of China where more than 50 confirmed cases occurred simultaneously in one location was on the cruise ship "Diamond Princess," which was quarantined off the coast of Yokohama, Japan. Bloomberg reported that the large number of confirmed cases in South Korea has heightened public anxiety about COVID-19 and was one of the factors contributing to declines in U.S. and European stock markets that day.

Foreign media including the Associated Press (AP) cited WHO briefing content, noting that most of the additional infections were among large church congregants and that these cases originated from a specific, isolated group, assessing that the Korean government can manage the situation adequately. Oliver Morgan, WHO Risk Assessment Director, stated at a press briefing held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, "The outbreak cases in South Korea stem from several isolated groups," adding, "Although the numbers seem high, this does not indicate any significant epidemiological change." He further praised, "Korean authorities are tracking all new confirmed cases and their identified outbreaks very closely and rigorously." WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said, "The confirmed cases reported in South Korea are expected to be sufficiently manageable through the country's public health measures."

Previously, infection cases within religious facilities such as churches have been reported in Singapore and Iran. On the 19th, Singapore's Ministry of Health announced that among the 84 infected individuals in the country, 28 were linked to two different churches. In Iran, on the same day, following the deaths of two COVID-19 patients in Qom, a central city famous as a Shia religious site, three new confirmed cases were reported. These deceased and confirmed patients are presumed to have been infected during worship at pilgrimage sites or Islamic mosques.