7 Confirmed Cases Over Three Days at Elim Church in Gumi, Gyeongbuk... Cluster Infection Becomes a Reality

Daegu Meister High School Student and Older Brother Confirmed Positive
5 Infections Including Pastor Couple on 22-23rd
Worshipers Without Masks Attended Service with Confirmed Cases

On the afternoon of May 21, a student at Daegu Agricultural Meister High School, where a COVID-19 case was confirmed, is packing up and heading home.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] The Elim Church in Wonpyeong-dong, Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, is causing health authorities to worry that it might become a super-spreader route for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), similar to the Shincheonji Church.

On the 23rd, in the Gumi area, 3 confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in the morning, followed by 2 additional cases in the afternoon. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Gumi to 75.

According to Gyeongbuk Province and others on the same day, the new confirmed cases in Gumi include two women in their 40s, one woman in her 50s, one man in his 60s, and one woman in her 70s. All of them are members of Elim Church attended by A (the 69th confirmed case in Gumi), a third-year student at Daegu Agricultural Meister High School who was confirmed positive while asymptomatic during dormitory admission on the 21st, and his older brother (the 70th confirmed case).

Notably, most of the congregation at this church recently attended services without wearing masks, and among the confirmed cases are the pastor and his spouse, indicating a high possibility that about 20 other church members were also exposed to COVID-19.

At Elim Church, adult worship services are held on Wednesdays and Fridays. The 70th confirmed case reportedly attended the service last week. The 69th confirmed case, the Daegu Agricultural Meister High School student, attended only the Friday service on the 15th. As a result, within three days after the 21st, seven members who attended services together at Elim Church were confirmed positive.

On the 23rd, health authorities closed the Elim Church facilities and are conducting epidemiological investigations on the confirmed cases’ movements and the congregation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.