CLUSTER INFECTIONS AT RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS

[Anchor Lead]

Religious gatherings have now become the epicenters of new infections in the Seoul metropolitan area. A cluster infection broke out in a large church in Suwon with some 9,000 congregation members, prompting health authorities to think about taking tougher measures on religious facilities.

[Pkg]

Three new COVID-19 patients were confirmed from Suwon Central Baptist Church in Gyeonggi-do Province. The church has a congregation of nearly 9,000 worshipers. A male member in his 60s tested positive first. His wife in her 50s and his daughter in her 30s were also found to have contracted the virus. They attended church services four times - on June 17th, 19th, 21st, and 24th.

[Soundbite] SUWON CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH OFFICIAL(VOICE MODIFIED) : "We've been holding services while adhering to distancing guidelines, but we cancelled today's service. All the services are provided online now."

About 710 people are found to have attended the same services as the confirmed patients. Eight more cases in association with Wangsung Church in Seoul, jacked up the total number from that church to 27. Seven more patients were confirmed from another church in Anyang, Gyeonggi-do Province, bringing the total from that Church to 18. Churches have been repeatedly asked to hold online services and events, as infections within religious facilities had often spread to nearby communities.

[Soundbite] PARK NEUNG-HOO(MINISTER OF HEALTH AND WELFARE) : "Instead of imposing tighter control on religious gatherings as high-risk facilities or behaviors, we seek to design a more precisely targeted plan."

Authorities believe tougher measures are needed for religious facilities and plan to provide a set of measures soon.