Hospital staff in Daegu has been tested positive for coronavirus. It has been reported that the worker even hid his identity as a member of the Shicheonji cult being lead by pastor Lee Man-Hee.
The worker's personal information has not been announced in public but is reported to be involved in quarantining those who are infected with COVID19 patients in Munsung Hospital.
On February 24, the health staff was tested positive for the coronavirus and was questioned about the place he last visited before contracting the virus. He stated that he had visited a hair salon with his wife. The health staff added that he had even then kept the truth about him being a Shincheonju member.
Munsung Hospital performed a contact tracing for those people whom he had contact with and found out that out of 13 people he had contacted, 9 tested positive for the coronavirus including his wife.
Following the procedures, the authorities have sent commands to Munsung Hospital to quarantine 27 people whom he had in touch with.
Being a regular worker in Munsung Hospital, at least 280 health staff workers were currently undergoing tests for COVID-19.
Reports say that at least 46 people in an apartment near the hospital have been tested positive for Coronavirus, and out of 141 residents of the establishment 94 tested positive that were all active embers of the Shincheonji cult.
The Shincheonji cult members were reported to be refusing quarantine and treatment after showing positive symptoms of the Coronavirus.
The government expressed their frustration knowing that a huge number of people were infected at that time and did not participate well in the prevention of the virus.
This made the Mayor of Seoul, Korea to sue the Shincheonji cult leader Lee Man-Hee and his other disciples for "murder, injury, and violation of prevention and management of infectious diseases."
After being sued, Lee Man-Hee appeared to the public to and made his public apology through media conference and said "Although it was not intentional, many people have been infected. We made our utmost efforts, but were not able to prevent it all."
The Shincheonji cult has 250,000 followers in Daegu, South Korea where their church is located and considered the center of the outbreak.
As of March 8, South Korea has 7,313 reported cases and 50 deaths.
