Gyeonggi-do Urges Repeated Suspension of Group Worship Services... "Community Infection Stage"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province has once again urged the suspension of group worship services.

The Gyeonggi Province COVID-19 Emergency Response Team (co-leaders Lee Hee-young and Lim Seung-kwan) held a regular briefing on the 9th and stated, "COVID-19 is rapidly spreading into the local community, and Gyeonggi Province has also entered the stage of community transmission."

Team leader Lee Hee-young pointed out, "The transmission route identified by health authorities is close contact within 2 meters in indoor spaces," adding, "There have been actual cases of cluster infections, and it is time to change the method of religious gatherings, which have been pointed out as a vulnerable factor for infection."

He especially added, "In this emergency situation where the lives of the people and the safety of the community are threatened by COVID-19, we once again request that worship services be converted to home worship."

Lee also emphasized, "Today, under the chairmanship of Kim Hee-gyeom, the first deputy governor of administration, a meeting was held with the directors of 10 major general hospitals located in Gyeonggi Province to discuss the dedicated treatment of severe patients, securing hospital beds, and the operation of living treatment centers," adding, "Gyeonggi Province is continuously cooperating with related organizations to respond to COVID-19."

The province plans to monitor test results of contacts and suspected patients and strengthen surveillance of symptomatic individuals. Among patients discharged during the exposure period, those who test negative will be quarantined for 14 days from the last contact date and will be released without additional testing.