S. Korea scrambling to contain church-linked cluster infection; gov't calling for people's cooperation
- 4 years ago
코로나 6일간 총 1천288명,..전국 14개 시도 확산 "국민협조 절실"
South Korea reported nearly three hundred new Covid-19 cases today - the highest daily rise in novel coronavirus cases since early March as outbreaks from churches around the capital spread, prompting a warning of a nationwide wave of infections.
Most of the new cases stem from a Seoul-based church, but smaller outbreaks are popping up all across the country.
The government says the key to curbing any further spread of COVID-19 is people's active cooperation in social distancing.
Lee Kyung-eun has the latest.
Following large-scale cluster infections linked to the Shincheonji religious group that swept through South Korea's southeastern city of Daegu back in February,...the country is dealing with yet another outbreak of this nature this time in the highly populated capital city of Seoul.
Over the past few days, the country has seen a notable surge in cases linked to Sarang Jeil Church in the Seongbuk-gu District.
On Wednesday alone, one-hundred-66 newly confirmed patients are connected to the church...making a total of six-hundred-23.
The number is expected to grow too due to multiple secondary transmissions at call centers, nursing hospitals, and even other churches.
"As of 6 PM Tuesday, among the one-hundred-14 facilities that are connected to the newly confirmed patients, 50 secondary transmissions have been confirmed in 11 different places."
Group transmissions are also popping up at several offices within Seoul,...including at city hall.
With that, Seoul and the surrounding area accounts for nearly 90-percent of Wednesday's cases.
However, new transmissions have also spread to 13 other cities and provinces.
The government says this week will be a milestone in getting the situation under control, stressing the importance of the role people play.
"The government is putting its utmost efforts into containment, but the citizens' cooperation is desperately needed. Contact tracing and quarantine measures alone are not enough. Social distancing can reduce the range and pace of the spread."
To prevent any new source of infections, the government has also urged people to refrain from visiting beaches. Already, of more than two-hundred-50 beaches nationwide, one-hundred-seven have been shut down. The rest are scheduled to close by the end of the month.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.
South Korea reported nearly three hundred new Covid-19 cases today - the highest daily rise in novel coronavirus cases since early March as outbreaks from churches around the capital spread, prompting a warning of a nationwide wave of infections.
Most of the new cases stem from a Seoul-based church, but smaller outbreaks are popping up all across the country.
The government says the key to curbing any further spread of COVID-19 is people's active cooperation in social distancing.
Lee Kyung-eun has the latest.
Following large-scale cluster infections linked to the Shincheonji religious group that swept through South Korea's southeastern city of Daegu back in February,...the country is dealing with yet another outbreak of this nature this time in the highly populated capital city of Seoul.
Over the past few days, the country has seen a notable surge in cases linked to Sarang Jeil Church in the Seongbuk-gu District.
On Wednesday alone, one-hundred-66 newly confirmed patients are connected to the church...making a total of six-hundred-23.
The number is expected to grow too due to multiple secondary transmissions at call centers, nursing hospitals, and even other churches.
"As of 6 PM Tuesday, among the one-hundred-14 facilities that are connected to the newly confirmed patients, 50 secondary transmissions have been confirmed in 11 different places."
Group transmissions are also popping up at several offices within Seoul,...including at city hall.
With that, Seoul and the surrounding area accounts for nearly 90-percent of Wednesday's cases.
However, new transmissions have also spread to 13 other cities and provinces.
The government says this week will be a milestone in getting the situation under control, stressing the importance of the role people play.
"The government is putting its utmost efforts into containment, but the citizens' cooperation is desperately needed. Contact tracing and quarantine measures alone are not enough. Social distancing can reduce the range and pace of the spread."
To prevent any new source of infections, the government has also urged people to refrain from visiting beaches. Already, of more than two-hundred-50 beaches nationwide, one-hundred-seven have been shut down. The rest are scheduled to close by the end of the month.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.