SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s coronavirus infections are back “in full swing” and spread nationwide after members of a church attended a political demonstration, authorities said on Thursday, threatening one of the world’s COVID-19 success stories .
Women wearing masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) disease use portable fans to cool off in Seoul, South Korea, August 20, 2020. REUTERS / Kim Hong-Ji
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 288 new cases as of midnight on Wednesday, marking a week of triple-digit daily increases, although slightly down from the previous day’s 297.
“This is a dire situation that could potentially lead to a nationwide pandemic,” Deputy Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said in a briefing.
Without aggressive contact tracking, the country could experience the types of spikes and persistent infections in the United States and Europe, said KCDC deputy director Kwon Jun-wook.
“Consider now that the COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing.”
South Korea was one of the first countries outside China to see an explosive spread of the new coronavirus, but intensive traces and tests have brought infections under control and sustained a subsequent series of spikes.
The latest outbreak is driven by hundreds of infections among members of a church run by a pastor from far right. They had attended an anti-government protest in Seoul on August 15, the 75th anniversary of the surrender of World War II to Japan and the end of colonial rule.
Kwon urged all protesters to test directly at nearby public health clinics to protect the vulnerable people around them.
The demonstration may have been a “catalyst” for the nationwide outbreak, as churchgoers rent buses to the capital from their homes in the country, including the southern port of Busan, Kwon said.
NODS NET HUGS
South Korea has reported 16,346 cases of the new coronavirus with 307 COVID-19 deaths.
If infections continue at the current rate or accelerate, authorities say they are likely to impose the strictest level of social distance – closing schools, requiring staff to work from home and limiting meetings to 10 people.
“Do not make physical contact. Exchange nods instead of handshakes, ”said Kwon. “Avoid physical contact such as hugging.”
At least 53 of the new infections have been linked to Sarang Jeil Church, bringing the group’s total to 676. Hundreds more church members are being tracked for testing.
Infections from the Seoul rally and one on August 8 affected people from nine cities and provinces. Health authorities said epidemiological work is in 150 facilities, including the workplaces of infected church members.
Sixty infections, including 33 from the church, have been linked to anti-government groups in Seoul, which have killed thousands of people. At least 8,500 protesters were tested as of Thursday, Kwon said.
The government has banned personal church gatherings in the greater Seoul area – an urban sprawl of 25 million people – and closed other high-risk locations, including nightclubs, karaoke bars, buffets and cybercafes.
The city government of Seoul limited the meetings there to less than 10 people from Friday until the rest of August.
Report by Sangmi Cha and Josh Smith; Edited by Lincoln Feast, Robert Birsel and William Mallard
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