Religious facilities primed for coronavirus infection… “BTJ World Center 756 confirmed”

Religious facilities are a weak link and one of the detonators of the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19). This is because the spread of the so-called “Shincheonji” in the early days of the spread of Corona 19 and group infections centered on churches continued.

The fierce spread seems to have subsided, with the number of new confirmed cases reaching 500 per day for five days, but the embers of group infection remain. Additional infections from the BTJ National Center, which have already had more than 700 confirmed cases, continue, and cases of group infections are sporadically continuing in other religious facilities.

BTJ World Center located at the end of Mt. Bonghwang, Sangsang-ri, Hwaseo-myeon, Sangju-si, Gyeongbuk on the 14th. [뉴스1]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the 16th, there were 547 domestic cases of Corona 19 on the previous day. Including 33 confirmed overseas inflows, a total of 580 were newly confirmed. Compared to the last day (1027 people), it has dropped to half. The number of new confirmed cases nationwide has been hitting 500 for five days since the 11th.

Although the rapid increase has subsided, the quarantine authorities believe that it is too early to be relieved. Sook-young Lim, head of the situation general manager Bang Dae-bon, said, “The third epidemic is on the decline, but even if the group infection occurs only in one place, the situation can increase significantly at any time.” Considering that the number of confirmed cases decreased to 451 a day on the 11th, the number of patients increased slightly.

Kwon Deok-cheol, the first deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), is announcing measures to extend social distancing steps and detailed adjustments at the Seoul Government Complex on the morning of the 16th. [연합뉴스]

One of the reasons the quarantine authorities are unable to slow down the tension is group infection centered on religious facilities. Group infection from BTJ World Center is considered one of the major risk factors. As of the 16th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases related to the BTJ National Center reached 765, but there is a high concern about further infection, such as a visitor rejecting the test.

BTJ World Center in Hwaseo-myeon, Sangju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, is one of the mission camps operated by the international mission group’Intercorp’, which specializes in Christian missions. From October to December last year, a large-scale meeting was held here several times with about 3,000 participants. Of the 765 confirmed cases, 241 people visited this place in person. The remaining 515 people were additionally infected in 9 cities and provinces across the country through visitors.

In terms of the number of confirmed cases, Shincheonji (5213 people), Seoul Dongbu detention center (1221 people), and Sarangjeil Church in Seongbuk-gu (1173 people) ranks fourth after group infection. The number of rallies in the city center on Liberation Day in August last year, when more than 650 confirmed cases were confirmed, has already exceeded the number.

The problem is that as visitors to the BTJ World Center avoid testing, there is a growing concern that the number of additional infections will increase. Gwak-jin, head of the patient management team, Bang Dae-bon, explained at the briefing that there were 1016 non-registrants for the examination (BTJ Nation Center related). “There are about 2,000 subjects who have not yet registered the results.” Some analyzes say they avoid prosecution because of the’conspiracy theory’ that has spread inside Intercorp.

On the morning of the 7th at the controversial world church in Gangseo-gu, Busan, controversy over face-to-face worship, members are protesting the quarantine authorities’ measures of’non-face-to-face worship’. [연합뉴스]

Group infections in other religious facilities are also steadily occurring. At the prayer center in Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, 10 additional confirmed cases occurred the day before, and the cumulative number increased to 95. There are also additional confirmed cases in religious facilities in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (accumulated 16 people), Suji-gu church in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do (209 people cumulatively), and church in Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do (cumulative 14 people).

Dae-bon Bang said, “We believe that there was an additional propagation as participants of the Sangju BTJ retreat attended other churches’ religious meetings,” he said. “Similar cases are repeated through the Jinju Prayer Center.” Last weekend, 1090 church members attended the service, and the church in Busan, where the facility was closed, declared that they will worship in the grass field on the 17th, and it was controversial.

Regarding the fact that face-to-face worship was allowed at 10% of all seats (20% of the non-metropolitan area) from the 18th, the script said, “In prayer centers and training centers, quarantine regulations such as restrictions on the number of people, prohibition of lodging and meals, and prohibition of breathing air are mandatory. “We plan to thoroughly crack down on violations,” he said. On the other hand, according to the results of the script investigation that day, a total of 2823 people were confirmed related to religious facilities from October last year to the 9th of this month.

Reporter Heo Jeong-won [email protected]

New confirmed cases of Corona 19 after August. Graphic = Reporter Cha Junhong [email protected]