South Korea: Officials seek murder charge against sect founder over coronavirus

South Korean authorities have sought to press charges against leers of a secretive religious sect which practises an offshoot of Christianity for failing to cooperate in coronavirus. Seoul City government, in a statement, said that y have filed a legal complaint against religious leers of Shincheonji including its founder Lee Man-hee.

religious leers are accused of homicide and violating Infectious Disease and Control Act allegedly causing a surge in number of coronavirus infections. major outbreak in South Korea took place in sourn city of Daegu where most of cases were related to Shincheonji members.

"If y h actively taken early measures, we could have prevented explosive rise of Covid-19 cases in Daegu and rth Gyeongbuk province and deaths of several people," wrote Seoul mayor Park Won-soon on his Facebook p. 

Last month, health surveys were conducted on 30,814 Shincheonji members of which 740 tested positive for vel coronavirus COVID-19. During health survey, 210 members performed task on behalf of government since group leers said that members won’t take calls from people outside group. 

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Majority cases related to Shincheonji

On March 1, number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Korea stood at 4,212 and 22 people have lost ir lives due to dely infection. According to media reports, around 60 per cent of cases across country are related to Shincheonji members. 

Park, in a statement posted to mayor’s office website, said that prosecutors need to carry out a rigorous investigation and make sure it les to a strict punishment on Shincheonji leership that is at centre of this crisis.

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According to latest report, 42 new deaths in China due to coronavirus infections have been confirmed, taking total death toll because of dely virus to nearly 2,900. While most of cases are from Hubei province of China and city of Wuhan, epicentre of outbreak, or countries, including United States, Iran, Italy, and Japan, have also reported deaths related to COVID-19.

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