The 297 new infections mark the sixth straight day of triple-digit increases in a country that more or less managed to contain its Coronavirus outbreak.
Once restrictions became loose, the capital of Seoul began seeing an uptick of infections, and now here we are, as the city is once again seeing March levels of outbreak. The clusters this time was reportedly from a church and a religious group in the capital; the Sarang Jeil Church.
Not so much is known about the Seoul-based church itself, although a lot more is known about its lead pastor Rev Jun Kwang-hoon. The 63-year-old has for years been an outspoken government critic, and has reportedly led multiple anti-government rallies in Seoul.
“South Korea now appears to be in the early stage of large-scale community outbreaks,” said the Director of Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
South Korea now has a total of 16,058 infections, a minor number compared to western counterparts, but a sign that things may take a turn for the worst if measures are not enforced.
The government ordered the closure of nightclubs, karaoke bars, buffets and cyber cafes earlier this week, banned all in-person church services, and restricted indoor and outdoor gatherings to no more than 50 and 100 people.
If infections continue to spread, then the government will most likely take stricter measures in containing the spread, and go back to closing schools and offices.
The sudden uptick in cases just goes to show how resilient Coronavirus is, and that the virus itself can return at a fast rate. We will be living with this pandemic for quite some time yet, and on another note, it doesn’t seem like we’ll get to fly over to Seoul for some bulgogi beef anytime soon. We’ll just have to settle for K drama binges on Netflix and ordering in from Korea Town.
