Park Neung-hoo: "Religious Gatherings Such as Metropolitan Area Retreats Should Be Refrained From"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Park Neung-hoo, the first deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), urged on the 2nd, "Please refrain from face-to-face gatherings such as retreats and Bible study sessions in the metropolitan area until the risk of infection decreases."

At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held at the Government Sejong Complex on the same day, Deputy Head Park said, "Cluster infections through religious small group meetings are spreading mainly in the metropolitan area."

He warned, "Due to the nature of religious small group meetings held in small numbers among close acquaintances, it is difficult to comply with quarantine rules such as wearing masks and washing hands, increasing the possibility of infection transmission," adding, "Multiple religious facilities being exposed simultaneously can lead to larger cluster infections."

He continued, "COVID-19 can spread rapidly to hospitals, churches, and schools," and requested, "Workers at multi-use facilities such as medical institutions and nursing homes should postpone attending small group meetings."

On the day before the additional school reopening, the government reviewed measures to prepare for the second phase of school attendance at the meeting. Deputy Head Park urged, "Parents should ensure that if their children show even slight suspicious symptoms before going to school, they should not attend school and rest at home for 3 to 4 days."

He added, "Students who show suspicious symptoms at school should immediately undergo diagnostic testing and return home according to the guidelines, avoiding contact with others. Teachers should guide students not to visit high-risk facilities such as PC rooms and private academies after returning home."

The government plans to analyze the issues in each confirmed student case and promptly implement necessary improvements. Deputy Head Park said, "Starting tomorrow, 1.78 million students will begin additional school attendance," and emphasized, "In the COVID-19 situation, caring for others is the same as protecting oneself."

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