[앵커]
As of today (13th) 0 o’clock, the number of new corona19 confirmed in Korea is expected to reach around 500 or around 600. By 9 o’clock last night, 500 new people were confirmed nationwide. The number of infected people, which once fell to 400, is increasing little by little. One of the main causes is the continued mass infection of some religious facilities that have ignored the quarantine guidelines. In just two days, 57 confirmed cases related to a prayer center in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do came out. It continues to spread to other areas.
This is Bae Seung-ju.
[기자]
It is the Jinju International Prayer Center, where a COVID-19 group infection was confirmed.
Although it was an unregistered religious facility, there were also rooms and restaurants where you could sleep.
The website says that four face-to-face prayer meetings are held with professional instructors.
In fact, face-to-face prayer meetings were held until recently.
There are more than 50 people from regions other than Jinju.
They are ignoring the warnings from the quarantine authorities to do non-face-to-face worship.
[조규일/진주시장 : 1월 5일에는 20명을 초과해서 대면예배를 강행하는 현장을 적발해 경찰과 함께 신도들을 강제해산 조치하였고…]
The number of infected continues to increase.
Yesterday, 23 more people came out, and there were 57 cases in Gyeongnam alone.
A chain infection, leading to family and acquaintances, also began.
In Gyeonggi, Busan, Ulsan, and Jeollanam-do, 8 people have been identified as confirmed by this prayer source.
The list of visitors submitted by the prayer center is 180 people.
The quarantine authorities are investigating 128 of these, minus 52.
However, 11 people are out of reach.
The phone was turned off or the number was missing.
Jinju City commissioned the police to investigate.
[조규일/진주시장 : 부재 중 2명은 법적 조치를 안내하는 문자를 발송하였으며 금회 방문 명단과 대조하면서 유사 번호를 찾아내고 있습니다.]
Jinju City also accused the prayer-won representative to the police for violating the Infectious Disease Control Act.
On the 3rd, the quarantine authorities are tracking the route of infection, as the first infection began through a pastor from Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province and a pastor from Busan.
(Screen provided: Jinju International Prayer Center website)