SEOUL (SOUTH KOREA) – South Korea warned on Monday of a coronavirus crisis as new outbreak started arising. One of the recent examples was of a church where its congregation had more than 300 members infected, while many are hesitant to get tested.
The outbreak linked to the Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul is reported to be the country’s biggest such instance in nearly six months, calling for tight social distancing rules on Sunday.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 197 new cases as of midnight on Saturday.
KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong told, “We’re seeing the current situation as an initial stage of a large-scale transmission. We’re facing a crisis where if the current spread isn’t controlled, it would bring an exponential rise in cases, which could in turn lead to the collapse of our medical system and enormous economic damage.”
That said, authorities are facing hassles in tracking some of the members of the congregation.
Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip told, “We’re very concerned,” who dismissed rumours regarding mismanagement.
“That’s impossible. We can’t fabricate test results,” he said.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.