South Korea shuts Seoul nightspots, churches amid virus spike

South Korea will ban large public garings and shut down churches and nightspots in greater capital area amid an alarming surge in viral infections that health officials describe as country’s biggest crisis since emergence of COVID-19.

In a nationally televised anuncement on Tuesday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said strengning social distancing restrictions for Seoul metropolitan area, which is home to half of country’s 51 million people, was inevitable because a failure to slow transmissions re could result in a major outbreak nationwide.

South Korea reported 246 new cases Tuesday, mostly from capital area, pushing its total for last five days to 959.

measures, which will take effect Wednesday in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province and city of Incheon, prohibit garings of more than 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Nightclubs, karaoke rooms, buffet restaurants, computer gaming cafes and or “high-risk” venues will be shut. Churches will only be allowed to provide online services.

Chung or or government officials didn’t immediately say how long measures would be in place.

“We are at a crucial moment where a failure to put (infections in capital area) under control would quickly develop into a major outbreak nationwide,” Chung said. government h resisted calls to strengn social distancing measures for months, citing concerns about hurting an alrey fragile ecomy that policymakers say could shrink for first time in two deces.

Churches have emerged as major clusters of infections, with many of m failing to requite wearing of masks and allowing worshipers to sing in choirs or eat toger.

Kwon Jun-wook, director of South Korea’s National Health Institute, said health workers have so far found 457 cases linked to a huge Seoul church led by a bitter critic of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, which has become main focus of disease control efforts.

re’s concern that outbreak could worsen after thousands of protesters, including members of Sarang Jeil Church and its ultra-right pastor, Jun Kwang-hun, marched in downtown Seoul on Saturday despite official pleas to stay home.

Jun, who was unmasked and shared a microphone with several or protest leers on a st during Saturday’s protest, tested positive on Monday and is w receiving treatment at a Seoul hospital.

Health officials have so far tested 2,500 of church’s 4,000 members, but y have expressed concern that many of m are refusing to come forward for testing. Police are pursuing some 800 church members who have been out of contact.