Suwon City Strongly Urges Religious Facilities to Halt Small Gatherings

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] On the 5th, Suwon City strongly urged religious facilities in the city to "discontinue small gatherings such as providing food to believers, operating student departments, and Bible study meetings."

The city sent official notices to all Protestant churches, Catholic churches, Buddhist temples, and Won Buddhist temples in the city, stating "COVID-19 confirmed cases continue to occur nationwide, and community transmission cases have occurred again within religious facilities in Suwon City," and requested "religious facilities in the city strengthen 'social distancing in daily life' and continuously and actively cooperate."

The city also urged facilities to "be sure to maintain visitor logs (with names, contact information, addresses, etc. clearly recorded)."

On the 7th, when Sunday religious services take place, 670 city staff members will visit 670 religious facilities in the city to check ▲whether food is being provided ▲mask-wearing ▲fever checks ▲internal and external quarantine measures ▲visitor log completion.

The city has experienced two instances of cluster infections at religious facilities. In March, a cluster infection (10 people) occurred at Life Spring Church (Youngtong-gu). Recently, a cluster infection occurred at Suwon Dongbu Church (Youngtong-gu). Among 314 believers who attended services and meetings at Suwon Dongbu Church (Youngtong-gu) from May 24-29, 8 people including the senior pastor and other believers (Suwon City confirmed cases 57-64) tested "positive" for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the city is conducting on-site inspections of 5,347 facilities across 13 business types in compliance with Gyeonggi Province's assembly ban administrative order (May 23-June 7, covering entertainment establishments, trendy bars, coreoke clubs, adult entertainment venues, and coin singing rooms) and assembly restriction administrative order (June 1-14, covering logistics warehouses, transportation/delivery logistics facilities, collection centers, call centers, funeral halls, and wedding halls).

Inspection teams verify compliance with assembly bans and provide quarantine guidelines to restricted businesses. To date, on-site inspections have been conducted 7,625 times.

A city official urged citizens to "strictly observe social distancing guidelines in daily life so that COVID-19 can be terminated early."

'Social distancing in daily life' is a long-term quarantine system that improves living habits and social structures to harmonize infection prevention and blocking activities while engaging in daily life, economic and social activities. It consists of 'individual quarantine measures' (5 core rules and 4 supplementary rules) and 'collective quarantine measures' (5 core rules and facility-specific guidelines by department).

The '5 core rules for individual quarantine' are ▲staying home for 3-4 days if sick ▲maintaining a two-arm distance between people for healthy spacing ▲washing hands for 30 seconds and covering coughs with sleeves ▲airing out at least twice daily and periodic disinfection ▲maintaining distance while keeping hearts close.

The 4 supplementary rules are 'mask-wearing', 'environmental disinfection', 'living guidelines for elderly people aged 65 and above and high-risk groups', and 'healthy lifestyle habits'.

The '5 core rules for collective quarantine' are ▲communities working together ▲designating a quarantine manager within the community ▲establishing and observing community quarantine guidelines ▲quarantine managers actively performing their roles ▲community leaders and members actively cooperating with the quarantine manager.