The number of confirmed cases at Sarang Jeil Church rises to 1,035... 369 cases from gatherings unrelated to the church (Update)

COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Regular Briefing
Church-Originated Nth Infection Increases to 25 Locations and 158 People

On the 30th, as the novel coronavirus infection rapidly spread mainly in the metropolitan area, social distancing level 2.5 was implemented, and a store in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul, is closed./Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of noon on the 30th, the number of confirmed cases related to Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, infected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has been counted at 1,035. This is an increase of 17 cases compared to the previous day.

Most of the cases, 965, are in Seoul and the metropolitan area, while 70 cases have been confirmed in non-metropolitan areas. By age group, those aged 60 and over account for 422 cases, which is 41% of the total cases in this cluster. It has been identified that 158 cases are so-called n-th generation infections, where individuals who are not church members or have never directly visited the church were infected through additional transmission at workplaces or other places unrelated to the church. These n-th generation infection sites include a total of 25 locations such as other churches, nursing facilities, schools, and workplaces.

Regarding the urban rally on the 15th, 62 additional cases were confirmed in one day, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 369. Many Sarang Jeil Church members had attended the rally earlier, but when authorities classify confirmed cases related to the urban rally, they only count cases unrelated to the church. It is estimated that 149 people were infected by directly attending the rally, and 121 were infected through subsequent transmissions. Among the police, 8 have been confirmed positive, and 91 cases are still under investigation.

On the afternoon of the 15th, a rally condemning corruption in the Moon Jae-in administration, abuse of power by Choo Mi-ae, and sexual harassment by Democratic Party local government heads was held in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul, hosted by Sarang Jeil Church and Liberty Solidarity.

Urban Rally on the 15th → Nationwide Spread Becomes Reality
942 Cases with Unknown Infection Routes in Two Weeks... 21.5%

The urban rally is spreading nationwide. There are 10 locations where n-th generation infections related to this rally have spread, with 118 confirmed cases. Cluster outbreaks have been confirmed to be related to the rally in various places including the Green Hospital cluster in Seoul with 4 patients, and churches such as Eunhye-ro Vision Church (6 cases), Agape Church (4 cases), and Sarang Church (34 cases) in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Chungbuk, Gwangju, and Daegu areas.

In addition, large and small cluster outbreaks have occurred or additional cases have been reported across the country. Regarding the Geun Kwon Neung Church in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, after the first case was reported on the 27th, 16 additional cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 17. Confirmed cases related to Seoul Theological Seminary in Dongjak-gu have reached 22, and cases related to an apartment in Guro-gu (livestock company in Geumcheon-gu) have increased to 35. Cases related to Seohaero Church in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi Province, have also increased to a total of 10 since the 27th.

As sporadic cluster infections have occurred, the number of patients whose infection sources are difficult to identify has also increased significantly. When new confirmed cases occur, the quarantine authorities investigate contact with existing patients to find the infection route, but it has been found that 942 patients in the past two weeks, accounting for 21.5% of all confirmed cases during this period, have unknown infection routes. The recent increase in patients with unidentified infection routes can be interpreted as indicating that silent transmission has already spread throughout the community, which is a challenging issue for the quarantine authorities.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said at a briefing on the day, "To prevent additional n-th generation transmissions, we are focusing our efforts on quickly identifying and isolating contacts within 24 hours whenever possible, prioritizing contact tracing and isolation to prevent further transmission." She added, "In the metropolitan area, as confirmed cases increase, there are limits to responding with existing epidemiological investigation capabilities alone."

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