Another 40 Cases at Eunhyeui Gang Church... Concerns Over Religious Group Infection Resurgence (Comprehensive)

Officials from the Environmental Sanitation Division of Sujeong District Office are conducting disinfection around Eunhyeui Gang Church in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, where 46 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Choi Dae-yeol and Kim Heung-soon] In Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, 40 confirmed COVID-19 cases occurred in one day at the 'Eunhyeui Gang Church,' raising concerns about another cluster outbreak. Religious gatherings forcibly held at some churches are acting as a trigger before the shock of the domestic novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) cluster centered on Shincheonji Jesus Church believers has subsided.

According to Seongnam City and quarantine authorities, as of 7 a.m. on the 16th, 40 believers at Eunhyeui Gang Church in Yangji-dong, Sujeong-gu, tested positive for COVID-19 in one day. The number of new confirmed cases in Gyeonggi Province counted as of midnight was 20, so the remaining patients will be sequentially reflected in the quarantine authorities' statistics. Due to the rapid increase in patients related to Eunhyeui Gang Church, the number of new confirmed cases in Gyeonggi Province was the second highest nationwide after Daegu (35 cases) on that day.

40 Additional Cases in One Day... Total Related Patients 46
"Earnest Request to Prohibit Group Gatherings Such as Worship"

Previously, six people including the pastor couple and believers at this church were confirmed positive sequentially from the 9th to the 15th, increasing the total number of related patients to 46. This is the second largest cluster infection in the metropolitan area following 124 confirmed cases related to the call center in the Korea Building, Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul (as of midnight on the 15th).

It was confirmed that the confirmed patients at Eunhyeui Gang Church gathered together for worship on the 8th. According to Seongnam City, this church, established in 1998, held worship services twice a week for one hour each, with about 100 believers attending each service. The city requested specimen collection and diagnostic testing for 135 believers who attended worship from the 1st to the 15th. Among them, results for 106 people came out, with 40 additional confirmed cases, 58 negative cases, and 8 requiring retesting.

Seongnam Mayor Eun Soo-mi said, "Believers or family members of Eunhyeui Gang Church who have abnormal symptoms should voluntarily undergo diagnostic testing as soon as possible," and "For the safety of the community, we earnestly request the prohibition of group gatherings such as worship at religious facilities in the area."

Even After Shincheonji Cluster Infection,
Sporadic Cluster Infections Centered on Churches Occur
"Appeal to Participate in Social Distancing"

As of the 15th, among 8,162 confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Korea, 5,006 (61.3%) including 4,354 in Daegu and 517 in Gyeongbuk were related to Shincheonji. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and related agencies urged religious groups to refrain from offline worship and gatherings as part of social distancing. However, sporadic cluster infection cases related to religion have continued to occur nationwide even after the surge in Shincheonji-related cases on the 25th of last month.

In Gyeonggi Province, aside from Eunhyeui Gang Church, there were 15 cases related to Bucheon Saengmyeongsu Church and 10 cases related to Suwon Saengmyeomsaem Church. In Seoul, 24 cases related to Dongdaemun-gu Dongan Church and 10 cases related to Jongno Myeongnyun Church were identified. In Busan, 36 cases related to Oncheon Church (including 2 in Gyeongnam) and 6 cases related to Jangsan Catholic Church in Haeundae-gu occurred. In Gyeongnam, 10 cases related to Geochang Church were reported. Kwon Jun-wook, deputy director of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said, "Small-scale outbreaks continue mainly in religious facilities in the metropolitan area," and "We consider it important to strengthen preventive management for these."

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 patients released from quarantine increased by 303 on the day, raising the total number of released patients to 1,137. The number of recovered patients exceeded 300 on the day, following an increase of 120 the previous day, marking the highest level since the first recovered patient was reported on the 5th of last month.