From the 10th, Church Retreats and Bible Studies Will Be Prohibited

On Sunday the 5th, Ilgok Jungang Church in Buk-gu, Gwangju appeared quiet. As confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) surged among the congregation, the Gwangju city government issued an order to close the Ilgok Jungang Church facilities until the 19th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] From the evening of the 10th, gatherings or events other than regular worship services at churches will be prohibited. Group meals are also not allowed, and masks must be worn at all times. This is due to a series of cases where COVID-19 spread through small gatherings related to churches.

On the 8th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced strengthened quarantine measures for churches containing these details. The government has not designated churches as high-risk facilities, so regular worship services are allowed, but other small gatherings will be prohibited. This includes retreats, prayer meetings, revival meetings, district worship services, Bible study groups, and choir practice sessions. During worship, singing hymns is discouraged, and loud singing or speaking such as in loud prayers is prohibited. If hymns are sung, masks must be worn without exception.

Churches are not allowed to provide food, and group meals are banned. Visitor logs must be maintained to track who has entered and exited, and visitors showing symptoms must be restricted. Failure to comply with these rules may result in fines of up to 3 million KRW imposed on responsible persons or users under the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act.

Depending on the situation, a prohibition on gatherings that prevents worship services may also be enforced. However, if efforts to improve facilities or the local patient occurrence situation meet the conditions for exemption from quarantine obligations as recognized by local governments, the obligations may be lifted.

Park Neung-hoo, the first head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, stated, "We ask for understanding that these measures regarding churches are intended to protect the health of the public and ensure safe religious activities," and added, "We request the participation and cooperation of the religious community."