수도권 개척교회 집단감염 확산…신규확진 22명 늘어 누적 45명<br /><br />South Korea's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic hit another snag as church-linked cluster infections in the Seoul metropolitan area continue to rise ahead of further school reopenings.<br />38 new COVID-19 cases today... most of them reported in Seoul, Incheon just west of the capital and the surrounding Gyeonggi-do area.<br />Kim Dami has the details.<br />At least 45 people have been infected with COVID-19 from the recent church cluster infections in the Seoul Metropolitan Area.<br />And 24 of the 38 new cases Korea reported on Tuesday were related to religious gatherings, sparking concerns of another wave.<br />Many of the worshippers in Incheon, where the cluster infection first broke out, were not wearing masks during services and more than 70% have been infected.<br />Of the 24 transmissions from Tuesday, 17 were not showing symptoms.<br />This cluster has now spread to 23 churches in the metropolitan area... prompting South Korean health authorities to once again urge citizens to refrain from face-to-face gatherings.<br />"The coronavirus is spreading fast through religious activities, so please do refrain from such gatherings. If you must, please proceed with non-contact meetings instead."<br />Church-related virus cases erupted recently after a pastor in her 50s at a church in Incheon tested positive over the weekend.<br />While health authorities are still working to discover the origin, the pastor reportedly visited a senior center in Seoul before being tested.<br />The center has since been shutdown, and 57 patients and workers are getting tested for COVID-19.<br />Kim Dami, Arirang News.<br />
