On Sunday, as South Korea began tightening up nationwide measures to battle the resurgence of coronavirus cases across the country, churches were closed, and professional baseball games were played in empty stadiums, the Associated Press reports.
The number of new cases of the COVID-19 virus has increased in the triple digits for the 10th day in a row, with a spike on Sunday of 397 new cases of the virus. The resurgence began in the densely populated Seoul area before reaching practically every major city and provincial town over the past week, and this has become a major setback for the country, reports The Hill.
Jeong said 841 new cases could be traced back to an anti-government rally held this month by a right-wing preacher who heads the Sarang Jell Presbyterian Church, while another cluster of cases has been traced back to a Starbucks.
Officials had long resisted reimposing lockdown measures for fear of damaging the national economy. They finally relented on Sunday, barring indoor gatherings of more 50 people and shuttering buffet restaurants, nightclubs and karaoke venues. Seoul officials will also require masks in public indoors and outdoors.
Johns Hopkins University reported 23.2 million COVID-19 cases worldwide early Sunday, with more than 800,000 deaths. The U.S., as it had for months, leads the world in the number of COVID-19 infections with 5.6 million, followed by Brazil with 3.5 million and India with more than 3 million.
U.S. health officials believe the number of coronavirus infections in America may be 10 times greater than reported because of a lack of testing and reporting, according to VOA News.
And coronavirus cases are now beginning to pop up after the massive 10-day motorcycle rally held earlier this month in Sturgis, South Dakota, according to health officials.
Health officials in Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota say they have identified infections connected with the rally. Authorities warn, however, that the full extent of infections from the rally will not be known for some time.
