Cumulative 568 Confirmed Cases at Sarang Jeil Church... 130 New Cases in One Day

On the 18th, as the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection related to Sarang Jeil Church increases, citizens are waiting to undergo COVID-19 testing at a temporary screening clinic set up at the Seongbuk-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] It has been revealed that the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) related to Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, has reached 568. This is a sharp increase of 130 cases in one day from 438 cases the previous day.

Kim Kang-lip, the 1st General Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), said at a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 19th, "As of midnight today, tests were conducted on 3,275 people, and among them, 568 were confirmed positive," adding, "The positivity rate is showing a high level of about 17%."

According to the CDSCH, among approximately 4,000 church members whose names have been secured by the quarantine authorities, 129 are awaiting testing, and 389 have not been contacted or tested. For about 600 people whose identities have not been confirmed on the list, Seoul City and the National Police Agency are cooperating to secure an accurate list of church members and are proceeding with identity verification.

The government emphasized that among the confirmed cases at Sarang Jeil Church, the proportion of elderly people aged 60 and over, classified as a high-risk group, is about 40%, which is high, and therefore, the risk of them progressing to a critical condition is high. Kim, the 1st General Coordinator, urged, "Church members and their families should promptly get tested for their own and their surroundings' safety."

In particular, Sarang Jeil Church held gatherings near Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gwanghwamun in Seoul on the 8th and 15th of this month, respectively, and many confirmed cases have been identified among those who attended these gatherings. Kim, the 1st General Coordinator, said, "The risk of infection at these gatherings is very high," and added, "People who attended the gatherings in Seoul should immediately visit the nearest screening clinic for testing regardless of symptoms."

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