The COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea has soared up again, resulting in sixteen thousand of its population infected with the virus. This number is still surging up and is now starting to move and target its capital, Seoul.
The increase in COVID infected individuals have started in late March. The country has also observed consecutive days of recording a three-digit rise in new cases. What’s more concerning is that most of these new cases are found near or inside the country’s capital.
Although the first surge of the epidemic didn’t hit Seoul too much, the current rise of infected people in different locations brings fear to people living in the country’s capital. With Seoul’s population of 9.7 million people, a mass outbreak is brooding on its horizon.
Authorities have already imposed rules and ordered the closure of public places like bars, nightclubs, cafes, and buffets. Gathering outdoors with more than 100 people and gatherings indoors of more than 50 people is restricted to safeguard civilians.
It is also reported that a large-scale infection even happened in a single church where more than 300 cases were identified. The outbreak occurred in Sarang Jeil Church, which has 4000 members, and only half of these numbers are tested. Many of its members are now hard to locate, giving problems to the authorities as they might have caught the virus already and spread it to other places.
It doesn’t also help that the church pastor Jun Kwang-hoon showed up on a rally protesting against the government. The pastor alleged that their member’s tests were manipulated to have positive results, which the government denies as the PRC test results cannot be altered. Ten thousand people participated in the said rally were some of the members of the Sarang Jeil Church attended.
The rally and church’s activity earns public anger, and a petition is called to detain the pastor. However, the church’s leaders and members continue to resist and threaten to fight back. Unfortunately, the tension concluded as a news agency reported that the pastor of Sarang Jeil Church, Jun Kwang-hoon, is infected by the virus.
Until now, South Korea is still fighting and containing the spread of the virus. They did mass testing, contact tracing, and isolate the people that have the infection. The government also asks civilians to stay at their homes and not leave their houses if possible. If the virus continues to spread and infect more people, the South Korea government will surely enforce stricter regulation.
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