Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jung: "Cluster Infection at Local Churches... Taking It Very Seriously"

11 Confirmed Cases Including Pastor and Congregants at Daedeok-gu Birae-dong 'Sunbokum Daejeon Woori Church'
First Local Church Cluster Infection Case...City to Take Strong Measures if Violations Found
Additional Cases Among Hanwha Players, Sauna Staff, and Others
This Week Critical for COVID-19 Spread and Prevention...Religious Groups and Citizens Urged to Cooperate

Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong is holding a non-face-to-face (online) briefing at Daejeon City Hall on the 1st. Photo by Daejeon City

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] “Although an administrative order banning gatherings at religious facilities was issued on the 23rd of last month, we consider the outbreak of a cluster infection at a local church to be ‘very serious.’ The city plans to file a complaint with judicial authorities and also consider claiming compensation if violations of the gathering ban are confirmed.” Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong said this during a non-face-to-face (online) briefing on the 1st.

According to Daejeon city on the day, 16 new confirmed cases occurred over two days. The total cumulative number of confirmed cases in the region is 272.

In particular, in the early hours of the 1st, the first cluster infection case within a religious facility in the region was reported. Eight confirmed cases on that day were all found to be members of the Full Gospel Daejeon Woori Church. This church is a small to medium-sized church located in Birae-dong, Daedeok-gu.

The cluster infection among church members is presumed to have started from the pastor couple of this church. Following the initial confirmation of the pastor’s wife of Full Gospel Daejeon Woori Church in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon (Gyeyang-gu case number 88), the pastor himself was confirmed positive on the 31st of last month, and as of the morning of the 1st, eight church members were sequentially confirmed positive.

Additionally, confirmed cases number 194 and 211 in Daejeon, who were diagnosed on the 21st and 22nd of last month respectively, were also confirmed to be members of Full Gospel Daejeon Woori Church, bringing the total number of confirmed cases linked to this church to 11. However, during in-depth epidemiological investigations, cases 194 and 211 reportedly stated that they had not attended church for a long time.

Other members also testified that they had conducted non-face-to-face worship services after the administrative order banning gatherings on the 23rd of last month.

Regarding this, Mayor Heo said, “The city is taking emergency quarantine measures to prevent further spread following the cluster infection at the church and is conducting epidemiological investigations by identifying contacts of confirmed cases.” He emphasized, “Furthermore, we will investigate false statements and violations of administrative orders related to the church cases, and if violations are confirmed, we will respond strongly with complaints and claims for compensation.”

In Daejeon, there was also a case where a sauna employee (masseur, case number 256) in Sajung-dong, Jung-gu, was confirmed positive the previous day, as well as the first confirmed case among professional sports players?a Hanwha Eagles player.

Regarding the sauna employee’s confirmed case, three additional people have already been confirmed positive (close contacts). The city is currently testing 92 out of 110 people who used the sauna, and is tracking down the whereabouts of the remaining 18 who have not yet been contacted.

Regarding the Hanwha Eagles player’s confirmed case, the city informed the team of the player’s positive status the previous evening so that quarantine measures could be implemented. The confirmed player is understood to have mainly trained in Seosan.

Mayor Heo said, “The city believes this week will be a critical turning point for the spread and prevention of COVID-19,” and urged, “Citizens are asked to refrain from all external activities, including private gatherings, except for essential economic activities.”

He also stressed, “We earnestly ask the local religious community to comply with the ban on in-person worship services and the complete prohibition of small group activities.”

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