Religious Facilities and Medical Institutions Cluster Infections More Than Double Compared to a Month Ago (Comprehensive)

52 Cluster Outbreaks Last Week... 15 in Religious Facilities, 10 in Medical Institutions
"New Cases Decreased Compared to Last Week, but Cannot Confirm a Declining Trend"

On the 21st, many COVID-19 cases were confirmed at a church in Dong-gu, Daegu. Citizens are lined up in long queues at the screening clinic set up by the Dong-gu Public Health Center to get tested.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The quarantine authorities announced on the 22nd that there were 52 new cluster infections of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reported in the past week. The total number of cases is similar to recent weeks, but cluster infections related to religious facilities, medical institutions, and nursing homes have more than doubled compared to a month ago.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters' analysis of new cluster infection cases by type from last week (December 13?19), cluster infections related to religious facilities were the highest at 15 cases. Previously, there were only 2 cases in the last week of November, but the number has increased sharply. Due to the elevation of social distancing levels, non-face-to-face worship is the principle, and only a limited number of people preparing for the service are allowed to gather on-site. However, some churches were found to have held on-site worship services.

Medical institutions and nursing homes increased from 5 to 10 cases during the same period. These facilities house vulnerable groups such as the elderly and patients with underlying conditions, and although thorough infection prevention measures are in place, cluster infections have emerged nationwide. Once the virus enters these facilities, many people become confirmed cases, raising significant concerns about fatalities.

On the afternoon of the 17th, medical staff and 119 paramedics are transferring a COVID-19 confirmed patient to an ambulance in front of Yangji Nursing Hospital in Nam-gu, Ulsan.

Transmission in workplaces has also increased. A month ago, there were 5 cases per week, but last week it rose to 12 cases, making it the second most common type. Educational facilities such as schools and academies accounted for 5 cases, followed by family and acquaintances gatherings with 4 cases. The total number of new cluster infections increased from 41 cases in the last week of November to 54 cases the following week, and has since remained at a similar level. In the second week of this month, there were 51 cases, and last week, 52 cases.

At a briefing on the same day, Kwon Jun-wook, the second deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, said, "All religious activities must be non-face-to-face and contactless, and meals, small gatherings, and events must be canceled. Infection control within medical institutions and nursing homes must be thorough, and quarantine rules must be followed." He added, "In workplaces, masks must be worn, meetings conducted remotely, common areas ventilated and disinfected, dinners and small gatherings canceled, and if symptoms appear, employees should be excluded from work and promptly tested."

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

Daegu Church 31 Cases and Jeju Cathedral 112 Cases Cumulative Confirmed
"Cluster Outbreaks Raise Concerns of Amplified Community Spread at Any Time"

While new cluster infections are emerging nationwide, additional cases within each cluster are also increasing. At Gwangjin Central Church in Dong-gu, Daegu, after the first patient was identified on the 20th, 30 additional cases were confirmed through contact tracing. Among the 31 cumulative cases, 29 are church members. In Jeju, cluster infections presumed to have started at a cathedral have increased to 112 cases. Authorities believe the spread began with an evening gathering at the cathedral and subsequently extended to a sauna and a live cafe.

In Guro-gu, Seoul, cluster outbreaks at nursing hospitals and nursing homes resulted in 53 additional confirmed cases during follow-up testing of co-isolated individuals, bringing the total to 107 cases. Cluster infections related to a daytime care center in Uijeongbu increased to 11 cases, and clusters related to nursing homes in Cheongju, Chungbuk, rose to 71 cases. Patients related to hospitals in Goesan, Eumseong, and Jincheon counties in Chungbuk numbered 86, and cases related to a nursing home in Buk-gu, Gwangju, increased to 17. Additionally, new cluster infections with varying numbers of cases have been reported nationwide, including 8 at Incheon New Port Logistics Terminal, 17 at a food processing company in Jung-gu, 45 at an elementary school in Donghae, Gangwon, and 10 at a family gathering in Gangneung.

On the 22nd, a citizen is leaving the courthouse at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The Supreme Court's Judicial Administration Office recommended a three-week recess starting from this day for courts nationwide due to the spread of COVID-19. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Deputy Head Kwon said, "The COVID-19 outbreak has reached its peak winter challenge," adding, "Although the scale of domestic patient occurrence is smaller than the same period last week, it is difficult to conclude whether this downward trend will continue at this time."

He continued, "We are most concerned about the increasing cluster outbreaks in religious facilities and workplaces, which can amplify community spread at any time. Medical and nursing facilities, where many deaths occur at the tail end of the outbreak, are also at risk of explosive case increases, so we will prepare thoroughly," he emphasized.

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