CLUSTER INFECTIONS RISE IN SEOUL METRO AREA

[Anchor Lead]

Cluster infections continue to erupt in churches in the Seoul metropolitan area. Concerns about further spread are rising, as family members of the congregation at a church in Anyang, where recent cluster infections were reported, include staff of a postnatal care center and a kindergarten.

[Pkg]

Four more people at this small church in a commercial building have tested positive for COVID-19. More than 20 out 80 parishioners have been infected so far.

[Soundbite] VENDOR IN THE SAME BUILDING(VOICE ALTERED) : "They have meals together, which is problematic. Their service ends past 3 p.m., so they have lunch together. (But having meals together is not allowed.) They have few parishioners."

The cluster infection that began at this church has quickly spread to family members and coworkers. One of the church members who has been infected is known to be working at a postnatal care center, prompting authorities to test some 40 women receiving care there.

[Soundbite] STAFF AT POSTNATAL CARE CENTER(VOICE ALTERED) : "We just found out. We're trying to figure out how to cope with this. Our staff and all the women have been tested already."

A logistics center in Yongin, where one of the workers had contracted the coronavirus from a church member, has been closed down after two more of its workers tested positive. Four more people in their 60s also tested positive in relation to the Central Baptist Church in Suwon, bringing the total number of cases to seven. Only one of the infected was a church parishioner. The other three were family members -- presumably from secondary or tertiary infections. The Suwon City government is tracing their contacts and has temporarily closed down a hospital were one of the patients was hospitalized.