Confirmed Cases in TK, 82% Linked to Shincheonji Daegu Church

Ambulances transporting COVID-19 confirmed patients are lined up at Keimyung University Daegu Dongsan Hospital. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Kim Heung-soon, Jo Hyun-ui] It has been revealed that confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions account for over 80% of the total patients. This is the result of a rapid increase in cases originating from the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, where a 'super-spreader' event is presumed to have occurred.

According to the outbreak status announced by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 26th, 134 new patients were confirmed in Daegu alone that morning. In Gyeongbuk, 19 new patients were registered. As of 9 a.m. that day, the number of patients in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions reached 944, accounting for 82.4% of the total patients (1,146). Since the 31st patient, known to be a member of the Shincheonji Daegu Church, was confirmed on the 20th, most additional patients have been occurring in Daegu and Gyeongbuk.

The rapid increase in a short period is largely due to prioritizing testing for those among Shincheonji believers in Daegu who showed symptoms such as fever and cough. The quarantine authorities designated about 1,300 people as priority testing targets after assessing symptoms among 9,231 individuals under management at the Shincheonji Daegu Church, and planned to complete all tests by that day. The government is also expanding the investigation to include all Shincheonji members who moved from Daegu to other regions or who live elsewhere but visited Shincheonji churches in Daegu, based on the list received from Shincheonji.

Furthermore, regardless of Shincheonji association, virus diagnostic tests will be conducted on all pneumonia patients hospitalized in the Daegu area or those showing cold symptoms. Therefore, new patients are expected to continue increasing mainly in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk areas. The government is supporting military medical officers in Daegu to assist with specimen collection personnel needed for diagnostic testing and is expanding screening clinics.