South Korea's COVID-19 Cases Rise to 6,767 with Most Cases Traced to Church

60% of the new coronavirus cases in South Korea are linked to a secretive church at the center of the country's outbreak, the Economic Times reports.

"The number of people infected with the contagious disease has spiked in South Korea since mid-February, when a 61-year-old woman known as "Patient 31" tested positive after attending religious services at a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the southeastern city of Daegu," the edition says. 

A new smaller cluster case reported on Saturday at an apartment complex in Daegu, where some members of the church live, KCDC said.

"63.5% of the total cases are related to the Shincheonji Church and its members, but there is a possibility that new cases will be revealed, as tests are still underway," said the deputy director.

The publication further reads that Lee Man-hee, the founder of the church, apologized on Monday after one church member infected many others. He called the pandemic a "great calamity."

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), however, voiced concerns over members of the Shincheonji Church being blamed for the spread of the coronavirus.

"We urge the South Korean government to condemn scapegoating and to respect religious freedom as it responds to the outbreak," the USCIRF said on Twitter on Friday.

"South Korea has the highest national tally of confirmed cases outside of China, prompting nearly 100 countries to impose curbs on travelers from South Korea," the Economic Times reports. 

The WHO said on Friday all countries should make containing the coronavirus outbreak their top priority.

Source: m.economictimes.com