1145 Confirmed Cases in Seoul in Just 9 Days... Nearly 3000 Cases in 7 Months (Summary)

Seoul City Enforces Indoor and Outdoor Mask Mandate for Gwanghwamun Rally Participants Under 'Anonymous Testing'
Administrative Actions Taken Against 17 Churches That Defied Gathering Ban to Hold Weekend Services

As social distancing level 2 was announced due to the spread of COVID-19, the roads around Gwanghwamun in Seoul appeared empty on the 23rd.
Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Since the first day the daily number of confirmed cases in Seoul exceeded 100 on the 15th, a total of approximately 1,100 people have been diagnosed positive over the past 9 days, accounting for more than 38% of the cumulative confirmed cases since the first case was reported in Seoul on January 24 this year.

According to Seoul City on the 24th, from the 15th to midnight of the 24th, 1,145 people in Seoul alone were confirmed positive for COVID-19.

The daily number of confirmed cases in Seoul first exceeded 100 on the 15th with 146 cases, dropped to 90 on the 16th, but then rose again to 132 on the 17th, 151 on the 18th, 135 on the 19th, 126 on the 20th, 128 on the 21st, and 140 on the 22nd, maintaining over 100 cases for 7 consecutive days, and recorded 97 cases on this day as well.

Since the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Seoul on January 24, the cumulative number of confirmed cases was 1,841 as of August 14, but the cumulative number surged rapidly within just 9 days, approaching 3,000.

The main cause of this cluster infection started at Sarang Jeil Church located in Seoul and the Gwanghwamun rally, and especially due to Seoul’s high population density, the virus is spreading rapidly.

As multiple cluster infection cases spread simultaneously, the areas with new confirmed cases have expanded throughout Seoul. In particular, since mid-month, there have been many days when new confirmed cases appeared in all 25 autonomous districts of Seoul.

Daily New COVID-19 Cases Trend in Seoul

As the risk of infection spread heightened, Seoul City issued a gathering ban order prohibiting all churches from holding in-person worship services, and from midnight on the 24th, made mask-wearing mandatory indoors and at outdoor gatherings such as performances throughout Seoul.

Park Yu-mi, Seoul City’s Quarantine Control Officer (Director of the Citizen Health Bureau), stated, "Except in private spaces like inside homes, or outdoors when there are no people nearby or when eating, everyone including visitors from other cities and provinces visiting Seoul must wear masks at all times," emphasizing, "Although the number of confirmed cases dropped below 100 today (the 24th), the city does not yet consider this a decrease in confirmed cases."

Meanwhile, Seoul City announced that it received a list of 10,577 attendees of the Gwanghwamun rally, and after classification, has conducted tests on a total of 5,501 people including 1,823 target individuals and their family and acquaintances. Also, to increase the testing rate, anonymous testing, first attempted during the Itaewon club cluster infection, is being conducted, and the city requested that the target individuals complete testing by the 26th.

Additionally, citizens who visited the door-to-door sales company "Muhan Group" located on the 6th floor of Yeongin MC Building in Gwanak-gu (456 Bongcheon-ro) between the 10th and 20th were sent guidance text messages to get tested at nearby public health center screening clinics regardless of symptoms. Currently, there are a total of 17 confirmed cases nationwide related to this company, all residing outside Seoul.

Furthermore, six more confirmed cases related to the Gwanghwamun rally held on Liberation Day, August 15, were added in one day. Confirmed cases were also found among attendees of the "8.15 Workers’ Rally" held by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in front of Bosingak on the same day.

Seoul City also reported that following the gathering ban order issued to all churches in Seoul, on the 23rd, inspections were conducted at 6,892 churches across 25 autonomous districts, revealing that while most switched to non-face-to-face worship, 17 churches forcibly held in-person services. The city plans to take administrative actions such as reissuing gathering ban orders against these churches.

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