Additional COVID-19 Cases Confirmed at Metropolitan Area Churches... Gwangju Family Case Linked to Temple (Update)

4 Additional Confirmed Cases at Anyang Juyeonggwang Church and Suwon Jungang Baptist Church
Family in Gwangju and Jeonnam Linked to Gwangneuksa Temple... 76 Contacts Identified

On the afternoon of the 28th, officials from the Paldal-gu Public Health Center conducted disinfection around the building of Suwon Central Baptist Church in Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, where a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) occurred.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Four additional COVID-19 patients have been confirmed in connection with Juyounggwang Church located in Anyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, including church members and coworkers of previously confirmed cases. The total number of cases has risen to 22. By region, one case is from Seoul, and the remaining 21 cases are classified as patients from the Gyeonggi Province area.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 29th, as of noon, four more cases were confirmed related to Suwon City Central Baptist Church. The total number of cases linked to this cluster has increased to seven. Among the 720 worship attendees, symptom checks are being conducted and diagnostic tests are being administered. The health authorities reported that basic preventive measures such as social distancing and mask-wearing inside the church were followed, but they are investigating the high possibility that transmission occurred through a separate gathering held by the initial index patient outside of the worship service.

In relation to Richway, a door-to-door sales company in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, three additional contacts under quarantine tested positive. The cumulative number of cases has risen to 210, including 42 visitors and 168 contacts. Regarding Wangseong Church in the same area, one additional case was confirmed, bringing the total to 28. Among these, 24 are patients from Seoul and the remaining four are from Gyeonggi Province. At the Ministry of National Defense daycare center in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, one additional child was confirmed positive, while the other 73 tested negative.

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters (Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency)

Regarding the confirmed family cluster in Gwangju and Jeonnam, a connection was identified with Gwangnyeoksa Temple located in Dong-gu, Gwangju, grouping them into one cluster totaling 12 cases. During the epidemiological investigation, 76 contacts were identified, including 39 participants of an arts festival held on the 20th, attendees of a Buddhist university, and interviewees, and diagnostic testing is underway.

Meanwhile, as of midnight today, 12 imported cases were confirmed: three from the Americas, one from Europe, and the remaining eight from Asia excluding China. Among the non-China regions, there are two cases each from the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Kazakhstan, and one case each from Russia and Pakistan.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated at the briefing, "At religious facilities where confirmed cases emerged, life quarantine rules were not followed properly, such as not wearing masks or wearing them inadequately. There were many activities with high droplet transmission risk, such as singing hymns, eating, and small group meetings. Even individuals with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 attended worship services, which led to additional infections. These characteristics were analyzed."

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