COVID-19 Cases Related to Sarang Jeil Church Surpass 1,000 After 17 Days

307 Confirmed Cases Related to Gwanghwamun Rally on Liberation Day
Continued Cluster Infections in Apartments and Nursing Homes
"Death Trend Expected to Continue"
Repeated Emphasis on Adhering to Infectious Disease Prevention Guidelines

Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters (Director of the National Institute of Health) [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Recently, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases related to Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, the largest cluster of novel coronavirus infections, has exceeded 1,000. The routes of cluster infections are also diversifying, increasing the tension among quarantine authorities.

As of 12 noon on the 29th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that 40 additional confirmed cases related to Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul were identified. This brings the total number of confirmed cases related to Sarang Jeil Church to 1,018, surpassing 1,000 within 17 days since the first confirmed case on the 12th of this month.

According to epidemiological investigations so far, 586 people are either on the list of church members and visitors or confirmed to have visited, with an additional 341 secondary transmissions and 91 cases still under investigation. Additionally, the number of confirmed cases related to the August 15th Gwanghwamun rally increased by 13, bringing the total to 307.

Furthermore, confirmed cases continue to emerge from other cluster infection chains. Six more confirmed cases related to the company Muhangu (九)roup in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, were reported, bringing the total to 72. In connection with this company, 55 patients have been reported in Jeonnam alone.

Regarding an apartment in Guro-gu, Seoul, after the first confirmed case on the 23rd, cluster infections were also confirmed at the workplace of the confirmed cases, including the livestock company 'Bibi Farm' in Geumcheon-gu, with 34 confirmed cases as of noon on this day. Confirmed cases related to Bitgaon Church in Nowon-gu also increased by 3, bringing the total to 20.

Confirmed cases have also surged in nursing homes with many elderly residents. Related to Chamsarang Nursing Home in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, since the first confirmed case on the 27th, 17 additional confirmed cases have been identified, totaling 18. Among them, 5 are nursing home staff and 13 are users.

In particular, 'dark figure patients' with unclear infection routes remain prevalent. Among 4,361 confirmed cases from the 16th of this month to midnight today, 848 cases (19.4%) are still under investigation regarding their infection routes.

Deaths are also increasing amid the spread of COVID-19. From the 15th of this month to the day before yesterday, 16 deaths occurred, with the highest number being 7 in their 80s. This was followed by 5 in their 70s, 3 in their 90s, and 1 in their 60s.

At a briefing, Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook said, "The trend of deaths will continue," adding, "Because there is a lot of silent transmission in the community, there is little or no gap between the time of death and the time of confirmation, or the confirmation happens after death. This is a generally dangerous situation, making it difficult to trace links and testing the capacity of epidemiological investigations," urging continued compliance with quarantine rules.

Meanwhile, quarantine authorities have administered the specially imported COVID-19 treatment drug 'Remdesivir' to 155 severe and critical patients so far.

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