RELIGIOUS SERVICES AMID RE-ESCALATING VIRUS

[Anchor Lead]

Religious services were held yesterday in churches and temples all over the country as it was the first Sunday since Korea implemented the more relaxed distancing guidelines. But since a surge of new cases was reported from a club in Itaewon, the faithful remained at guard, wearing masks and sitting far apart from one another.

[Pkg]

​A long line has formed in front of a big church.

[Soundbite] "Maintain your distance, please. Stay apart."

Everyone's temperature is checked.

[Soundbite] "Put the mask on properly. You may enter."

A membership card must be scanned at the entrance before admission.

[Soundbite] KIM EUN-KYEONG(CHURCH MEMBER) : "We couldn't go to church because we had to follow the government's COVID-19 guidelines. Now that we're here, I'm so happy."

This church has been following the government guideline and limiting the number of on-site worshipers. This week, it allowed more people in: some 3,500.

[Soundbite] LEE SEUNG-HAN(YOIDO FULL GOSPEL CHURCH) : "They're seated as far apart as possible. So, only a third of maximum capacity are allowed in for the service."

Inside the church, everyone wore masks and sat in the designated arrangements. A large number of people congregated for the Sunday service at Jogye Buddhist Temple in Seoul. Some were seated outside the main prayer hall and those inside all wore masks and sat wide apart. Catholic churches across the nation resumed Mass as well. As Korea implemented more relaxed routine distancing rules, most religious organizations held on-site services. But many religious facilities refrained from providing meals after services and limited congregation sizes at the sites through advance reservation. Some churches still offer drive-in and online services. The religious circle is being extra cautious so it wouldn't become a COVID-19 hot spot.