S.Korea: Places of worship said to flout virus rules

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – South Korea on Friday said that nearly 6,000 places of worship have violated government rules devised to stem the spread of coronavirus, local media reported.

The country's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters inspected some 44,296 religious facilities across the country past week.

“The government caught more than 5,900 religious facilities violating the guidelines,” Yonhap News Agency quoted a government official as saying.

The violators were found not checking visitors' body temperatures and not maintaining at least a 2-meter distance between them.

“The authorities issued executive orders for 581 of the facilities. Those who do not comply with such orders could be fined up to 3 million won [$2,477] and also face damage claims from the government should infection occur there,” the report said.

Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian nation reported 91 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 9,332, with 139 deaths.

The country is implementing stricter rules on social distancing to slow the spread of the virus, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, last December.

The public has been urged to stay at home, except for essential needs or jobs, with the government restricting religious gatherings, indoor sports activities, and visits to nightclubs and other entertainment venues.

A two-week quarantine period for travelers from many regions, including Europe and U.S., has also been mandated.

The virus has killed over 25,250 and infected more than 558,500 people in 176 countries and regions, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.