S. Korea tightens social distancing as virus surges
A health official wearing protective gear sprays disinfectant on the street near the Sarang Jeil Church, a new coronavirus infection cluster, in Seoul on Tuesday. South Korea ordered nightclubs, museums and buffet restaurants closed and banned large-scale gatherings in and around the capital as a burst of COVID-19 cases sparked fears of a major second wave.
South Korea tightened social-distancing rules on Tuesday as it reported a three-digit increase in COVID-19 cases for a fifth day and authorities scrambled to trace hundreds of members of a church congregation.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 246 new cases as of midnight on Monday, bringing its total infections to 15,761, with 306 deaths.
South Korea has been one of the world’s coronavirus mitigation success stories, but it has seen repeated spikes in cases.
Two days after reimposing stricter social distancing in Seoul, the government expanded the curbs to include the port city of Incheon.
It also ordered the closure of nightclubs, karaoke bars, buffets and cyber cafes.
In addition, the government banned all in-person church services and indoor gatherings of 50 people or more and outdoor ones of 100 or more.
“If we can’t get the virus under control now, we’ll have to notch up social distancing to higher levels,” said Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun.
“And that would have a big impact on our economy and people’s livelihoods.”
At least 457 infections have been linked to the Sarang Jeil Church, 10 of whom were confirmed to have attended anti-government demonstrations on the past two weekends in Seoul, said Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip.
Authorities were trying to trace some 500 other members of the congregation to tell them to self-quarantine and get tested.
This was the second time a church was at the center of a serious outbreak.
In February, authorities struggled with an outbreak in a secretive Christian sect in the city of Daegu, which turned into the country’s deadliest cluster.
