15 COVID-19 Cases Confirmed in One Day Centered Around a Church in Gwangju

Confirmed Case Testing Positive After Temporary Screening Clinic Exam Verified Through Epidemiological Investigation

Gwangju Bitnaeri Church.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] COVID-19 confirmed cases have surged centered around a church in Gwangju.

According to Gwangju Metropolitan City on the 24th, 15 people were confirmed positive for COVID-19 overnight and newly registered as cases 1481 to 1495.

Fourteen of them were related to the church, and one was related to a confirmed case from another region.

Case 1481 was confirmed to be related to Jeonbuk case 1011, a worker at Sunchang Nursing Hospital who tested positive the previous day.

Cases 1482 to 1495 tested positive during the process of testing close contacts identified through the epidemiological investigation of case 1479, who was confirmed earlier.

Case 1479 exhibited COVID-19-like symptoms and visited a temporary screening clinic set up by Gwangju City Hall for testing, and was confirmed positive the previous morning.

Including case 1479, cases 1482 to 1495 are all classified as related to Bitnaeri Church in Sinyong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

It is known that this church held worship services and choir activities since the 17th. The quarantine authorities plan to conduct an on-site risk assessment of Bitnaeri Church.

Meanwhile, since the 17th, Gwangju region has adjusted social distancing to level 2, allowing religious activities with attendance limited to 20% of seating capacity, transitioning from non-face-to-face to face-to-face worship services.