OUTBREAKS AT RELIGIOUS FACILITIES

[Anchor Lead]

COVID-19 outbreaks are continuing at religious facilities. The number of cases related to the large Christian educational center BTJ has surpassed 500, as its members come from all over the nation. But despite health authorities' calls to get tested, the center's members refuse to get tested, and some don't even answer their phones. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to report those who refuse testing to police.

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Nineteen members of the BTJ center, a Christian missionary facility, are from Seoul's Nowon-gu District. The local district ward is urging them to get tested for COVID-19. Many don't pick up their phones.

[Soundbite] "Cannot connect. Please leave your message after the beep."

Seven out of the 19 members are out of reach, while three others are refusing to get tested. Despite their names in the center's visitor log, they deny having visited the center and even express discontent when authorities contact them.

[Soundbite] LEE SEUNG-YUN(NOWON-GU DIST. WARD OFFICE) : "Many of those people sound very hostile. They don't understand why their cooperation is needed."

More than 280 people who have visited the BTJ center reside in Seoul. About 33 percent of them have been tested for COVID-19. Five tested positive, and the overall positivity rate now surpasses 5 percent. Forty-five people are refusing to get tested. Seventy-nine others can't be reached by phone. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has issued an administrative order for the center's visitors to get tested by Friday. The city's officials along with police will visit their homes in person if they refuse to do so.

[Soundbite] BAEK UN-SEOK(SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOV'T) : "We will take stern action against those who refuse to get tested without a legitimate reason."

Violations of COVID-19 precautions are being detected continuously at religious facilities. An inspection on some 1300 religious facilities conducted last Sunday revealed that nine churches failed to abide by virus prevention rules. Some 2800 people visited the BTJ center between October and December last year. More than 500 of them have tested positive for the coronavirus.