A new focus of church-related coronavirus contamination has appeared in South Korea, authorities said Monday, reporting 46 cases within the congregation.
The Grace River Church in Seongnam, about 12 miles south of Seoul, closed on Sunday after a third of its 135 worshipers tested positive for Covid-19, including the pastor and his wife. .
This religious congregation continued to celebrate masses in spite of the government calls to avoid any public gathering and in particular religious. Forty new cases of contamination have been confirmed in this Church, said the authorities of the city of Seongnam. They are in addition to the six other cases previously recorded.
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More than 60% of the estimated 8,200 Covid-19 cases in South Korea are linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, an organization accused by some of being a sect. One of his followers had attended four religious ceremonies in the city of Daegu, which became the epicenter of the epidemic, before being diagnosed as carrying the virus.
The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 74 new cases across the country on Monday. This number is less than 100 for the second consecutive day. No new deaths from the new coronavirus have been recorded, and the death toll remains at 75.
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South Korea was the largest focus of the Covid-19 epidemic after China, where the virus first appeared. Seoul reports daily the number of cases registered the day before. The latest figures show a decrease in contaminations compared to the beginning of March, giving hope that the epidemic is now under control.
South Korea has pursued an extensive policy to screen for the virus with potential Covid-19 carriers. On Sunday, the number of tests performed exceeded 250,000. In addition, the school holidays have been extended, while dozens of events (K-pop music concerts, matches ...) have been canceled or postponed.