[전국]Infestation of churches that does not stop … Super ‘facility closure’ rain

[앵커]

With more than 1,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases, church-initiated group infections aren’t stopping across the country.

Quarantine authorities warned that if quarantine regulations were not followed in accordance with the revised ‘Infectious Disease Prevention Act’, the facility would close.

Reporter Heo Seong-joon reports.

[기자]

It is a church in Birae-dong, Daejeon.

As pastors, family members and church members were further confirmed, the cumulative number of confirmed cases rose to 9 in two days.

Furthermore, 5 and 2 people were infected in Songchon-dong and Jijok-dong churches, respectively, and more than 20 people were confirmed in Daejeon local church alone.

Quarantine authorities are confirming the facts and securing statements that these churches held Christmas and weekend services.

[정해교 / 대전시 보건복지국장 : 이런 비협조적인 행위들이 결과론적으로는 우리 방역에 대한 도전이고, 정말 어렵게 하루하루를 버티는 시민들을 보면 해서는 안 되는 일을 하는 것 아닌가 이런 생각이 듭니다.]

As massive church-initiated infections continued, quarantine authorities announced a strong response.

Based on the revised ‘Infectious Disease Prevention Method’, effective from day 30, it is a policy to ‘close the facility’ if quarantine regulations are not followed.

If the revised law does not meet quarantine guidelines, such as wearing a mask, the venue or facility may be closed or suspended for up to three months.

For the time being, the city of Daegu decided to close Church A, which held a face-to-face service last weekend, starting on the 31st.

This church has been prosecuted 16 times this year but was investigated as continuing to ignore compliance demands from quarantine authorities.

[대구시 관계자 : 방역 수칙을 위반하면 저희가 그동안 할 수 있는 게 집합 금지와 고발, 벌금을 내게 하는 것밖에 없었거든요. 법이 시행되자마자 최고로 강한 조치를 하려고 합니다. 위험하다고 판단했기 때문에 (시설 폐쇄를) 하는 겁니다.]

However, some Protestant circles are protesting it as the ‘Church Closing Act’.

Most of them argued that the revised law was no different from “the repression of churches that lost justice and fairness,” saying that most churches are complying with quarantine rules.

YTN Heo Seong-jun[[email protected]]is.

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