"No Windows or Ventilation Facilities and Eating Together"… Cluster Infection at Goyang Gippeum153 Church

COVID-19 Screening Clinic. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Seulgi Kim] Amid a series of COVID-19 cluster infections occurring in religious facilities including churches, a new cluster infection has been reported at a church in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced on the 6th at 12 PM that a total of 8 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in connection with the 'Gippeum 153 Church' in Goyang City.

According to the CDCH, although this church is a small religious facility with 14 members including staff, it is located on the basement first floor with no windows or ventilation facilities, which are factors vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19.

It was also confirmed that after worship services, church members gathered and shared a meal together, raising concerns that the scale of infection could potentially increase.

At the regular briefing that day, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the CDCH, stated, "During worship, the congregants wore masks, but after the service, one member brought a packed meal and ate together with other members."

Earlier, after Ms. A, a health teacher at Sanbuk Elementary School and the wife of a church staff member, tested positive for COVID-19 on the 4th, the health authorities conducted diagnostic tests on 103 contacts. As a result, 4 people including Ms. A's husband and children, 2 church members, and 1 colleague from Ms. A's workplace (Sanbuk Elementary School) tested positive.

Considering that Ms. A is a school staff member and her children are high school students, the health authorities are concerned that the infection could spread within the school. Diagnostic tests are currently being conducted on students and staff at the school.

Meanwhile, additional confirmed cases have been reported at existing cluster infection sites.

At Sarang Church in Songpa District, one more person tested positive in a pre-release test from quarantine, increasing the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 22.

Regarding the cluster infection among Uzbek nationals in Cheongju, Chungbuk Province, health authorities conducted diagnostic tests on 336 attendees of an Islamic religious event. All results were negative.

Deputy Director Kwon stated, "There are three large rooms in the same villa where 17 Uzbek nationals lived, so we believe it is more likely that transmission occurred within the residence rather than from the religious event."

The health authorities are currently investigating the exact infection route, keeping in mind the possibility that the first Uzbek confirmed case was the source of infection.

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