Suwon City Imposes Assembly Ban and Fines on Religious Facility in Gwonseon-gu for Violating Quarantine Guidelines

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Suwon City announced on the 7th that it has issued a two-week 'facility assembly ban administrative order' to a religious facility A in Gwonseon-gu where a recent COVID-19 cluster infection occurred, and will impose a fine of 1.5 million won on the facility representative (lead pastor).

Additionally, once the epidemiological investigation is completed, the city plans to consider seeking financial damages after legal review.

Religious facility A, which occupies the 5th, 6th, and 7th floors of a building in Gwonseon-gu, consists of a church (6th and 7th floors) and a homeschooling consignment education facility (5th floor) operated by the church. On the 2nd, one student attending the consignment education facility tested 'positive' for COVID-19, and by 7 a.m. on the 7th, 37 people including students, staff, their families, and church members had tested positive (17 within the district, 20 outside the district).

The epidemiological investigation revealed that religious facility A failed to properly comply with quarantine guidelines. According to the investigation results, 23 students and staff from the consignment education facility held multiple in-person services at the church on December 23-24 and 29-31 of last year, singing hymns.

Additionally, they were found to have eaten meals together in a restaurant on the 6th floor on multiple occasions. The restaurant had no partitions, and distancing was not maintained while eating. Attendance records for service participants were also poorly managed.

A city official stated, "Once the epidemiological investigation is completed, we will conduct legal review and consider all possible measures including seeking financial damages," adding "We will conduct more thorough inspections to prevent such violations of quarantine guidelines from occurring again."

Suwon City plans to visit all churches (approximately 800) within the city on the 10th to check compliance with quarantine guidelines.