S Korea orders thousands of church members to be tested

All 4,066 members of the Sarang-Jeil church in South Korea must be tested for coronavirus after a spike in cases was traced back to a religious service held by the group, according to an executive order by the acting Mayor of Seoul, Seo Jeong-hyup.

During an emergency briefing to reporters, Seo said that almost 2,000 members of the church's congregation in Seoul -- who have been told to be tested -- are now instructed to self-quarantine. Seo said the city will also work with the National Police Agency to “visit door to door, urging people to get tested,” reports CNN.

As of Sunday, 249 members of the Sarang-Jeil church have tested positive for Covid-19. The outbreak among Sarang-Jeil members is just one of several virus clusters linked to churches across the country, including 126 cases recorded at the Woori-jeil church in Yongin, Gyeonggi province. 

Legal action against will also be taken against the church, run by Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon, who Seo accused of violating infectious disease control laws. “Jun violated self-quarantine and spread false information, purposely delaying congregations from getting tested,” Seo said.  

The Ministry of Health and Welfare's said in a Twitter post that a complaint will be filed on Sunday against Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon of Sarang-Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul for “violating self-quarantine measures and obstructing the contact tracing investigation by omitting and concealing the list of investigation subjects.” 

South Korean President Moon Jae-in posted a message on his Facebook Sunday warning of a firm response against individuals who flout the law and attend events that are the source of these mass infections.  

Without mentioning the church by name, Moon said that the actions of people attending these rallies are “very worrying,” calling their behavior “a very senseless act,” that it is a “clear challenge to the national disease control and prevention system, and an unforgivable act that threatens the lives of the people.”

“By taking stern actions on illegal acts that undermine public well-being and order, we will fulfill the government's mission to protect the safety of the people first and firmly establish the rule of law.”  

Overall 279 new coronavirus cases were reported nationwide as of midnight Sunday, according to the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of which 267 cases were locally transmitted, and 146 cases were reported in Seoul. 

The South Korean government has waged one of the world's most successful fights against Covid-19. But a recent uptick of cases has led to social distancing measures being reintroduced to the Seoul area on Sunday.

In total, there have been 15,318 confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Korea, and 305 patients have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.