Concerns grow over cluster infections in churches

A Christian church in Seongnam, south of Seoul, has come under criticism for holding prayer services despite repeated calls by the authorities to refrain from public gatherings as a measure to prevent and contain the spread of the new coronavirus. Forty members of the River of Grace Community Church tested positive for the virus after attending a Sunday service March 8. Six others who came into contact with the infected members have also been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The church infections cannot and should not be overlooked. This case has emerged as the second-largest infection cluster in the metropolitan area, following the insurance call center case in Sindorim in Guro-gu, southwestern Seoul, where 124 employees and family members have contracted the novel coronavirus.

The two cases are raising fears that community transmissions have already started. The central government and health authorities have so far focused on fighting the epidemic in Daegu and areas in North Gyeongsang Province, the epicenters of the virus in South Korea. Daegu and the surrounding province have so far reported 6,066 and 1,164 cases, respectively, accounting for 87 percent of the total number of people infected with the virus, which stands at 8,235.

The number of new infections recorded daily has markedly declined after the authorities completed the testing of 210,000 members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive Christian sect blamed for the rapid spread of the virus in Daegu. But now the problem is that Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area could become a new virus hotspot as new infection clusters are emerging one after another such as the call center and the church.

In fact, the Seongnam church could have prevented its believers from catching the virus if it had paid heed to the recommendations from the central government and the municipality that religious groups refrain from holding worship services. Such recommendations were made in late February after soaring numbers of infections among members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus began to be reported. The major religious denominations of Catholicism, Protestantism and Buddhism among others have followed the recommendations by holding online prayer services for their followers.

But, some smaller independent churches like the River of Grace Community Church have defied the call to go without physical worship services. We can only hope these churches learn a lesson from the Shincheonji case which forced its founder and leader Lee Man-hee to publicly apologize for the spread of the virus in Daegu. The Shincheonji Church has been under fire for providing false information about its members and hiding its facilities which made it difficult for the health authorities to trace, isolate and treat patients.

It was foolhardy and reckless for the pastor of the Seongnam church to ignore the calls and push ahead with Sunday services on March 1 and 8. The pastor and his wife were also infected with COVID-19. He should take the blame for putting his congregants' health at risk. He belatedly decided to close his church for two weeks. This is locking the barn door after the horse has bolted.

We urge religious groups to temporarily stop holding services and events to join the nationwide fight against the pandemic. The Moon Jae-in administration and local authorities should work together to prevent new infection clusters from emerging.