991 Cases in Five Days, Second Major Wave..."COVID-19 Spread 'Severe'" (Comprehensive)

246 New Confirmed Cases as of Midnight on the 18th

At the entrance of Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, where a cluster outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) occurred, officials are coming out after completing disinfection work.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Heungsun Kim, Hyunwoo Lee, Hyunui Cho] Domestic confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) triggered at metropolitan religious facilities such as Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul are rapidly increasing. It appears that a second large-scale outbreak, comparable to the surge in confirmed cases centered around the Shincheonji Jesus Church in Daegu in late February to early March, is now underway. The government is seriously considering implementing a 'complete social distancing Level 2' that, in principle, prohibits gatherings of more than 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for COVID-19, as of midnight on the 18th, there were 246 new confirmed cases domestically. Of these, 235 were locally transmitted and 11 were imported cases, with the majority infected within the country. The daily number of confirmed cases exceeded 200 again just two days after reaching 279 on the 16th. The cumulative number of confirmed cases over the past five days since the 14th, when 103 cases were recorded, is 991. It has been over five months since the daily new cases re-entered the 200 range, last seen on March 9 (248 cases) during the peak of the 'Shincheonji incident.'

Rapid Spread from Sarang Jeil and Other Metropolitan Churches

Among the metropolitan churches where confirmed cases have occurred, the number of patients related to Sarang Jeil Church, which held a large-scale rally in Gwanghwamun during the Liberation Day holiday, has exceeded 400 in just six days, with secondary and tertiary infections spreading uncontrollably. Since the first confirmed case was reported on the 12th, the cumulative number of patients at this location has surged as follows: 5 on the 13th, 19 on the 14th, 59 on the 15th, 249 on the 16th, 319 on the 17th, and 438 on the 18th.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun emphasized on the same day, "The spread of COVID-19 centered in the metropolitan area is a very serious situation," adding, "Perhaps now is the most dangerous incubation period of COVID-19." He warned, "If we fail to stop the spread now, the painstakingly built tower of quarantine efforts could collapse," and urged thorough quarantine measures, stating, "Increased movement and contact during the vacation period must not become a trigger that amplifies the pandemic."

'Complete Social Distancing Level 2' Likely to be Implemented
Global Cumulative Confirmed Cases Surpass 22 Million

Park Neung-hoo, First Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting that day, "The quarantine authorities are taking the current situation seriously and are considering stronger measures." Since the government raised social distancing to Level 2 in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province from the 16th, some measures have been set at a 'recommendation' rather than 'mandatory' level, but it is highly likely that these will be strengthened to suspend operations of high-risk and public facilities and implement 'complete social distancing Level 2,' which in principle prohibits gatherings of more than 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Infectious disease experts argue that raising the level to Level 3 social distancing is necessary to slow the spread.

Meanwhile, as of the morning of the same day, the global cumulative number of confirmed cases reached 22,033,421, increasing by more than 2 million in just eight days since surpassing 20 million on the 10th. Additionally, a variant virus with up to 10 times stronger transmissibility than the existing COVID-19 virus has been discovered in Asia following Europe and the United States, triggering an emergency response from quarantine authorities in each country.