114 COVID-19 Transmission Sites Originating from Sarangjeil Church... 50 Cases of Secondary Infection at 11 Locations (Update)

COVID-19 Central Disease Control Headquarters Regular Briefing
Widespread Spread in Call Centers, Workplaces, Medical Institutions, Nursing Facilities, Schools, etc.
11 Locations, 50 Cases of Transmission After 2nd Wave Unrelated to Sarang Jeil Church

On the 18th, as the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) related to Sarang Jeil Church increases, Jangwi Traditional Market in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul is quiet. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] It has been identified that a total of 114 facilities and institutions were infected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) originating from Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Among them, 11 facilities experienced secondary or later transmissions unrelated to the church, known as 'n-th infections.'

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 19th, 166 additional confirmed cases were identified during contact tracing, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases related to Sarang Jeil Church to 623 as of 12 noon that day. By region, Seoul had the highest number with 393 cases. Gyeonggi Province had 160 cases, and Incheon had 35, totaling 588 confirmed cases in the metropolitan area alone. There were also 12 cases in Chungnam, 5 in Gyeongbuk, 4 in Jeonbuk, 3 in Busan, and 2 each in Daegu and Daejeon. One case each was confirmed in Chungbuk and Jeonnam.

Due to the large number of church members and the presumed spread of infection over several weeks, extensive secondary transmission occurred at four call centers, 44 workplaces, 10 social welfare facilities, and 9 medical institutions, according to health authorities. In addition, there were 5 religious facilities, 7 daycare centers and kindergartens, 33 schools and academies, and 2 other facilities related to the church, totaling 114 facilities and institutions. This makes epidemiological investigations challenging for the authorities.

Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters

Authorities: "Minimize Secondary and Later Infections"
Tracking and Management of Sarang Jeil Church at a Critical Juncture This Weekend

Among the 114 facilities and institutions, 11 reported cases unrelated directly to the church. This means that individuals who had visited Sarang Jeil Church infected colleagues or acquaintances at their workplaces or other churches before being confirmed positive. It is estimated that there are 50 such n-th infection cases. For example, 18 cases occurred at Antioch Church in Nowon-gu, Seoul, and 10 cases at the Lotte Home Shopping Shinhan Life Insurance call center.

At a briefing that day, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, explained, "Primarily, by this weekend, we are prioritizing perfect contact tracing of Sarang Jeil Church and minimizing secondary or higher transmissions in facilities where confirmed cases associated with the church work, reside, or use."

He continued, "By this weekend, about 5 to 7 days will have passed since the Gwanghwamun rally on the 15th, which corresponds to the incubation period of COVID-19. Therefore, some results from the contact tracing of Sarang Jeil Church and the tracking of secondary transmissions will emerge. If links to the church or rallies are confirmed, it will be meaningful. However, if cases with unknown infection routes or new cluster outbreaks increase, it could indicate the early stage of another cluster epidemic, so we are monitoring the situation carefully," he said.

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