[Summary] New Cases Decrease but 'Church Infections' Nationwide... Total 505 Confirmed Cases at BTJ Yeolbang Center

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Joselgina] Although the number of new domestic COVID-19 cases has slightly decreased to the 600s for two consecutive days, cluster infections continue to occur across the country. While cluster infections centered around churches are spreading nationwide, new cluster infections linked to taxi companies and medical institutions have also been confirmed.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 9th, a total of 2,837 people visited the BTJ Yeolbang Center in Sangju, Gyeongbuk, and among the 872 who have undergone diagnostic testing, 154 tested positive.

Among these confirmed cases, 45 people transmitted the virus to a total of 351 others through 21 religious facilities and gatherings located in eight cities and provinces nationwide (Busan, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Jeonnam, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Gangwon). Including secondary infections, the total reaches 505. The BTJ Yeolbang Center is known to be a facility affiliated with the Christian missionary organization International Christian Outreach Mission (Intercop).

Gwak Jin, head of the patient management team at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, explained, "There are currently 154 primary infected individuals confirmed after visiting the BTJ Yeolbang Center," adding, "We are investigating the connection between the 351 additional transmission cases and the Yeolbang Center."

In the metropolitan area, new cluster outbreaks have been confirmed at a taxi company and a medical institution. At a taxi company in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, after the first confirmed case (index patient) on the 21st of last month, several employees and family members tested positive during contact tracing. Among the 17 cumulative cases, 10 were employees including the index patient, 6 were family members, and 1 was another contact.

Regarding a hospital in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, since the first confirmed case on the 6th, a total of 11 patients and staff have tested positive, and an epidemiological investigation is underway.

Additionally, related to the Dongbu Detention Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, as of midnight on the same day, a total of 1,180 people have tested positive. Among the three additional confirmed cases, one was a staff member who tested positive during self-quarantine. The other two were detainees. One detainee was confirmed positive after a 'pending' result in the 6th test was retested, and the other tested positive after being transferred to the Nambu Prison.

In the 7th full-scale test conducted on 574 detainees the previous day, 12 additional cases were confirmed. These will be reflected in the statistics on the 10th. In total, the cumulative confirmed cases related to the Dongbu Detention Center have increased to 1,192.

At Suji Sanseong Church in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, 160 people have tested positive. In the second case at a nursing facility in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, a total of 46 people were confirmed positive.

Outside the metropolitan area, cluster infections have also continued mainly in hospitals and religious facilities.

At a medical institution in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, since the first patient was identified on the 29th of last month, the cumulative confirmed cases have risen to 18. In three hospitals in Goesan, Eumseong, and Jincheon counties in Chungbuk Province, the cumulative confirmed cases increased by 385. At a nursing hospital in Sunchang County, Jeonbuk Province, and a church in Jung-gu, Ulsan, confirmed cases have risen to 96 and 13, respectively.

Additionally, one person arriving from South Africa tested positive on the same day, and a whole genome analysis is underway to determine whether it is a variant virus. The Central Disease Control Headquarters explained, "The individual entered the country on the 30th of last month via Ethiopia from South Africa, developed symptoms during self-quarantine, was tested on the 7th, and confirmed positive yesterday."

Over the past two weeks, the proportion of cases with unknown infection routes, where the time and place of infection are not known, was 26%.

The health authorities expect that if the currently applied social distancing measures (Level 2.5 in the metropolitan area and Level 2 in non-metropolitan areas) are properly followed, the number of new confirmed cases can be quickly reduced to 400-500 per day.

Im Suk-young, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters' situation management team, said, "Behavioral factors are the most important for the continued decrease in confirmed cases," adding, "If people continue to participate in social distancing and cancel gatherings and meals where infections may occur, as they have done so far, we can enter the 400-500 new confirmed cases range corresponding to Level 2 social distancing more quickly."

Regarding concerns that the recent decrease in new confirmed cases might be due to a reduction in testing caused by the cold wave, he responded, "It should be seen as an overall decrease in confirmed cases rather than an effect of the number of tests."

On the day, the number of new confirmed cases was 641, maintaining the 600s for two consecutive days. This is the fifth consecutive day below 1,000 cases.

Since the new year, the daily new confirmed cases were 1,027 → 820 → 657 → 1,020 → 714 → 838 → 869 → 674 → 641, with all but two days below 1,000. Looking at the past week, new confirmed cases averaged 773.3 per day, and the key indicator for adjusting social distancing levels, locally transmitted cases, dropped to an average of 738.1 per day. This is nearly 200 fewer than the previous week (December 27, 2020 ? January 2, 2021), which had 930.4 cases on average.