수도권 개척교회 집단감염 확산…신규확진 22명 늘어 누적 45명

South Korea's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic hit another snag as church-linked cluster infections in the Seoul metropolitan area continue to rise ahead of further school reopenings.
38 new COVID-19 cases today... most of them reported in Seoul, Incheon just west of the capital and the surrounding Gyeonggi-do area.
Kim Dami has the details.
At least 45 people have been infected with COVID-19 from the recent church cluster infections in the Seoul Metropolitan Area.
And 24 of the 38 new cases Korea reported on Tuesday were related to religious gatherings, sparking concerns of another wave.
Many of the worshippers in Incheon, where the cluster infection first broke out, were not wearing masks during services and more than 70% have been infected.
Of the 24 transmissions from Tuesday, 17 were not showing symptoms.
This cluster has now spread to 23 churches in the metropolitan area... prompting South Korean health authorities to once again urge citizens to refrain from face-to-face gatherings.
"The coronavirus is spreading fast through religious activities, so please do refrain from such gatherings. If you must, please proceed with non-contact meetings instead."
Church-related virus cases erupted recently after a pastor in her 50s at a church in Incheon tested positive over the weekend.
While health authorities are still working to discover the origin, the pastor reportedly visited a senior center in Seoul before being tested.
The center has since been shutdown, and 57 patients and workers are getting tested for COVID-19.
Kim Dami, Arirang News.