South Korea reported 559 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, as the number of infections traced to private missionary schools run by the same Christian group continues to grow.
It is the first time in 10 days the country is reporting over 500 new daily cases. Yesterday's cases bring South Korea's total to 76,429. The death toll stands at 1,378.
There are fears that infections and deaths will rise in the days ahead, hampering efforts by the government to contain the third and most serious Covid-19 wave ahead of Lunar New Year holidays.
Tightened anti-virus measures, including a ban on social gatherings of more than four people, have brought daily infection figures from a record high of 1,241 on Dec 25 to the 300-range last week.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun yesterday urged vigilance and told the health authorities to conduct a full examination of all 40 facilities run by the International Mission (IM) society, including more than 20 schools.
Pre-emptive testing is also being conducted at these facilities.
More than 300 cases so far have been traced to IM, which recruits teenagers from all over the country and trains them as missionaries.
The first case emerged on Sunday, when a student staying at a dormitory for the International Education Mission (IEM) School in central city Daejeon tested positive.
The cluster has since grown to 136 cases, most of them students aged between 16 and 18.
Forty related cases were confirmed in Hongcheon county, 81km east of Seoul, where IEM trainees and faculty members have been staying since Jan 16 for a winter retreat.
At least five other IM facilities have also reported cases, stoking concern that infections may spiral out of control.
The TCS Ace International School in Gwangju, 141 km south-west of Daejeon, has reported 109 Covid-19 cases so far.
Infections have also been found at IM-affiliated schools in Anseong city and Yongin city, both in the Gyeonggi province. IEM School in Daejeon has an alarmingly high infection rate of 93.3 per cent.
Health officials said the school did not practise proper social distancing and packed seven to 20 students in each dormitory room.
The school reacted slowly when flu-like symptoms first appeared among students.
The first person to develop symptoms came down with a headache and cough on Jan 12, but tested positive only on Jan 24.
The IEM group that tested positive in Hongcheon was also found not to have followed social distancing rules and did not take proper measures when two students first developed fever.
It is feared that the cluster will grow as the group had visited some 30 places during their stay, including cafes, fast food restaurants, pharmacies and a laundromat.
On Monday, PM Chung instructed health officials to conduct checks at all boarding facilities of similar schools. There are more than 300 of these alternative schools which run their own education programme.
Speaking at an inter-agency meeting, he tried to assuage concern that the IM cluster may explode like previous church-related outbreaks earlier this month.
Having learnt lessons from the previous outbreaks, he said, "this time, we will prevail in terms of speed" and curb the spread.
