A little known sect led by a pastor who pokes eyes to heal is at the center of a COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea, as the country reported a new daily record of 4,116 cases and battles a spike in serious cases straining hospitals.
In a tiny rural church in a town of 427 residents in Cheonan city, south of Seoul, at least 241 people linked to the religious community had tested positive for coronavirus, a city official told Reuters on Wednesday.
"We believe the scale of the outbreak is large...," the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said in a statement.
About 90% of the religious community was unvaccinated and the majority were in close contact through communal living.
Many of the congregation were elderly in their 60s and above and were unvaccinated, the city official said. Just 17 out of the 241 confirmed cases had been vaccinated.
"I believe it's the church's anti-government beliefs that refrained the believers to get the vaccine," the official said, adding that the town was put under a lockdown.
However, the KDCA said it was not possible to determine precisely why such a large number were unvaccinated, as the elderly and people with underlying conditions were not banned from inoculation.
The church opened in the early 1990s and has ever since become larger with communal living facilities of its own.
The religion is not officially registered as a sect, however the ritual act the pastor performs is known as the so called "imposition of hands on eyes," a practice of poking two eyes to rid of secular desire, Jung youn-seok, a head of cult information resources think tank told Reuters.
"Such act is extremely dangerous and nonbiblical. It is an outright ban in Korean Christianity," Jung said, adding that the pastor's mother was a powerful figure and was ousted from Christian community in the 1990s for practicing identical rituals.
Calls to the church from Reuters went unanswered.
The outbreak is a small portion of the national total, but is an example of a cluster with a high concentration of cases.
Shincheonji was a church at the center of the first major coronavirus epidemic outside China early 2020, with at least 5,227 people linked to its 310,000 followers infected after attending a service in the city of Daegu.
EMERGENCY PLAN IMMINENT
South Korea this month switched to a "living with COVID-19" plan aimed at lifting rigid distancing rules and ultimately reopening after reaching vaccination goals last month.
Since then there has been a sharp rise in cases with a fresh daily record of infections on Tuesday.
Looking at the metropolitan Seoul area alone, the situation is critical enough to impose an emergency plan at any time, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum told a COVID-19 response meeting on Wednesday.
He called on health authorities to classify the patients accordingly based on the severity of the symptoms and make use of self-treatment options for mild or asymptomatic cases.
Less than 20% were treating themselves at home last week, Kim said.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) had said the emergency plan may be imposed if and when the nationwide ICU bed capacity surpasses 75% or depending on the risk assessment that reviews medical response shortfalls, surge in number of elderly patients and uptake in booster shots.
Hospitals were treating 586 severe COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday midnight, rapidly filling up limited hospital beds for serious and critical cases. More than 85% of them were aged 60 or above, KDCA data showed.
71% of the ICU beds were filled up nationwide and 83.7% in capital Seoul and neighboring areas alone, Son Young-rae, a senior health ministry official, told a briefing, stressing ministry efforts to secure more beds with administrative order.
Hundreds were still awaiting for their beds.
Despite the increase in hospitalization rate, the country's mortality rate remains relatively low at 0.79%.
South Korea was one of the first countries to record novel coronavirus cases after it emerged in China in late 2019. It has since had 425,065 infections, with 3,363 deaths.
The country has fully vaccinated 79.1% of its 52 million people, while just 4.1% have been given a booster dose.
(Reporting by Sangmi Cha; Editing by Michael Perry)
The 'extremely dangerous Category 3 hurricane' has made landfall near Siesta Key, Fla., according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
A West Vancouver company has been ordered to repay a homebuyer's $1-million deposit after it failed to complete construction on the property in time.
During the campaign, BC Conservative Leader John Rustad has repeatedly said people are "dying on the streets" in the province – and on Tuesday he claimed to have witnessed that very thing in downtown Vancouver while he was on his way to the leaders' debate.
Sheriff's deputies in Washington's Kitsap County frequently get calls about animals -- loose livestock, problem dogs. But the 911 call they received recently from a woman being hounded by dozens of raccoons swarming her home near Poulsbo stood out.
Dozens of cars were pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor on Tuesday, causing many questions for Windsorites.
President Joe Biden warned on Wednesday that Hurricane Milton carried incredible destructiveness and urged people to take safe shelter while condemning misinformation about the storm as un-American.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
The leader of the Bloc Quebecois says his party 'might play a role' in helping the Liberals get House of Commons business rolling again — after days of Conservative-led debate on a privilege matter — but that his assistance would come at a cost.
A Turkish Airlines jetliner headed from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday after the captain died on board, an airline official said.
Jennifer Johnson, Lacombe-Ponoka legislature member, has been welcomed back into the United Conservative Party (UCP).
During the campaign, BC Conservative Leader John Rustad has repeatedly said people are "dying on the streets" in the province – and on Tuesday he claimed to have witnessed that very thing in downtown Vancouver while he was on his way to the leaders' debate.
A bill restricting the sale of long-bladed weapons was introduced in Manitoba Wednesday by Justice Minister Matt Wiebe.
American actor and environmental activist Mark Ruffalo is weighing in on British Columbia politics, lauding the B.C. Green Party's stance on fossil fuels ahead of the Oct. 19 election.
Saskatchewan's highest court has granted Dillon Whitehawk an appeal and a new trial has been ordered for the 2019 deaths of Jordan Denton and Keenan Toto.
A 42-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with human smuggling following an investigation near a Canada-U.S. border crossing in Manitoba.
Hurricane Milton crashed into Florida as a Category 3 storm Wednesday, pounding the coast with ferocious winds of over 100 mph (160 kph) and producing a series of tornadoes around the state. Tampa avoided a direct hit.
Ratan Tata, a former chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Sons hailed as a visionary business leader, died at a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday night. He was 86.
Sheriff's deputies in Washington's Kitsap County frequently get calls about animals -- loose livestock, problem dogs. But the 911 call they received recently from a woman being hounded by dozens of raccoons swarming her home near Poulsbo stood out.
President Joe Biden warned on Wednesday that Hurricane Milton carried incredible destructiveness and urged people to take safe shelter while condemning misinformation about the storm as un-American.
Israel's defence minister warned on Wednesday that his country's retaliation for a recent Iranian missile attack will be "lethal" and "surprising," while the Israeli military pushed ahead with a large-scale operation in northern Gaza and a ground offensive in Lebanon against Hezbollah militants.
A new book's assertion that former U.S. president Donald Trump may have had as many as seven private phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin since leaving the White House has refocused attention on their politically fraught relationship and on Trump's sustained dialogue with world leaders as he seeks a return to power.
Canada is adding another $15 million to its humanitarian aid package for Lebanon after an escalation in the conflict between Israel and the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah.
The leader of the Bloc Quebecois says his party 'might play a role' in helping the Liberals get House of Commons business rolling again — after days of Conservative-led debate on a privilege matter — but that his assistance would come at a cost.
The national security and intelligence adviser is rejecting the notion there are traitors in the House of Commons, despite an eyebrow-raising report from a spy watchdog that flagged questions about politicians' loyalties.
COVID-19 could be a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as three years after an infection, a large new study suggests.
The Ontario Ministry of Health says four people have been sickened after consuming beef tongue believed to be contaminated with listeria.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States, with 42,000 women dying every year from this cancer.
As if the largest bug to ever live – a monster nearly nine feet long with as many as 64 legs – wasn’t terrifying enough, scientists could only just imagine what the extinct beast’s head looked like.
A severe solar storm is headed to Earth that could stress power grids even more as the U.S. deals with major back-to-back hurricanes, space weather forecasters said Wednesday.
The research that won Geoffrey Hinton a Nobel Prize for physics was the product of plenty of work carried out before artificial intelligence was the buzzword it is today.
Global hitmaker Bryan Adams is adding his voice to opposition over new federal regulations on streaming.
Conor Kerr was bird hunting in rural Saskatchewan when he learned his book, "Prairie Edge," had been shortlisted for the Giller Prize.
The theme of the next Met Gala and its celebrity chairs have been announced: Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo, A$AP Rocky and LeBron James will help the museum launch an exhibit examining Black style in menswear over the centuries.
A West Vancouver company has been ordered to repay a homebuyer's $1-million deposit after it failed to complete construction on the property in time.
Siskinds LLP says a $70.25 million class-action settlement has been reached with TD Asset Management over commissions paid to discount brokers.
A new report says growth in average asking rents across Canada last month slowed to the lowest rate since October 2021, at 2.1 per cent year-over-year.
Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
While there's debate among experts about the stages of grief, 'people who are in the pain of grief are just saying, ‘Help me,'' death and grieving expert David Kessler said. Here's what the five stages of grief are, and how you can consider and process them in whichever order you experience them.
Buffalo Sabres centre Dylan Cozens had just finished a gruelling summer off-ice session when he and trainer Ben McPherson drove out into the Yukon wilderness to go fishing.
There was a time J.T. Miller struggled to work his way into an NHL lineup. Now the 31-year-old is a stalwart centre for the Vancouver Canucks — and he's set to play his 800th regular-season game Wednesday.
Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz will get the start in place of injured Joseph Woll when the Maple Leafs visit the Montreal Canadiens to open their NHL season on Wednesday night.
Dozens of cars were pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor on Tuesday, causing many questions for Windsorites.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
Mercedes-Benz has partnered up with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) and the provincial government to launch a new “incubator programâ€. One of the first three locations is Windsor, with the other two going to Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo.
Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.
Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.
Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.
Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.
The parents of a teen who died of a suspected drug overdose are calling on the government to improve addiction and mental health care.
On the heels of a commanding performance at the only televised leaders’ debate of the 2024 provincial election, the leader of the BC Green Party was scheduled to speak at a lively rally after making a public safety announcement in downtown Vancouver, but lost her voice and missed it at the last minute.
Lululemon founder Chip Wilson has had a second sign outside his $82-million home in Vancouver’s exclusive Point Grey neighbourhood defaced.
William Osler Health System is apologizing for an incident in which an elderly Sikh patient’s facial hair was shaved 'without consent and without medical necessity' by staff at Brampton Civic Hospital.
The 'extremely dangerous Category 3 hurricane' has made landfall near Siesta Key, Fla., according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is expressing regret for not attending a massive vigil held earlier this week where the city’s Jewish community commemorated one year since the October 7 terrorist attack. But her explanation isn’t adding up, event organizers say.
As hurricane Milton slams into Florida, many Canadians living in the storm's path are preparing to evacuate or hunker down.
Calgary police say more charges are expected against a man accused of intentionally starting a fire that caused an explosion in northeast Calgary over the weekend.
Calgary police say a stabbing in the community of Penbrooke Meadows on Tuesday is believed to be random.
Halloween is right around the corner, but residents of a South Kanata community say they've been living in what feels like a horror movie for over a month.
As the LRT's new north-south line prepares to open, many Barrhaven transit users will still have to use buses and transfer to commute downtown.
The City of Cornwall says it has “parted ways†with Mathieu Fleury as the city's chief administrative officer, though the details of his departure are unclear.
Three young people aged 17, 19 and 20 were arrested after shots were fired late on Tuesday near Old Montreal.
Sam Montembeault made 47 saves, Cole Caufield scored the game-winning goal and the Montreal Canadiens opened the NHL season with a 1-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday at the Bell Centre.
Residents are once again calling for the removal of the bike path along Terrebonne Street in NDG to be taken down because of disruptions to traffic and parking.
Residents of communities like Allard say there are traffic snarls on local roads every morning, leading to dangerous driving.
Connor McDavid is slated to skate with a familiar offensive duo while Leon Draisaitl will line up with two of the newest Edmonton Oilers hired guns Wednesday night at Rogers Place to open their National Hockey League (NHL) season.
Front-line healthcare workers are worried about the upcoming respiratory virus season as hospitals in the Edmonton region are already at capacity.
A 14-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old boy near a Halifax mall earlier this year.
Premier Tim Houston said he was notified on Monday morning that funds had been allegedly stolen from the Pictou East Riding Association.
The 'extremely dangerous Category 3 hurricane' has made landfall near Siesta Key, Fla., according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
A 42-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with human smuggling following an investigation near a Canada-U.S. border crossing in Manitoba.
A bill restricting the sale of long-bladed weapons was introduced in Manitoba Wednesday by Justice Minister Matt Wiebe.
A Winnipeg landlord is facing $9,000 in penalties following a mass eviction at a Winnipeg apartment block this summer.
A Saskatchewan Party candidate publicly apologized on Wednesday after it was revealed that he used a racial slur in caucus offices a year and a half ago.
RCMP in the Esterhazy area are searching for suspects after a vehicle was stolen and fled police on Monday.
For Scarlett Hicks, everyday life is challenging, as the two-year-old lives with a long list of medical conditions.
One person was struck by a GO train, near the Kitchener station, on Wednesday morning.
A former employee of CTV Kitchener has found a few memories buried in the walls of our old home at 864 King Street West.
Lithium batteries, found in everything from cellphones to electric vehicles, have become a part of our daily lives – but recent fires have prompted concerns about their use.
A Saskatchewan Party candidate publicly apologized on Wednesday after it was revealed that he used a racial slur in caucus offices a year and a half ago.
Healthcare workers rallied outside St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon Wednesday, advocating for better conditions in emergency rooms.
Milton is shaping up to be a monster of a storm, expected to strike Florida as a Category 3 hurricane, just weeks after Hurricane Helene hit the region.
The 'extremely dangerous Category 3 hurricane' has made landfall near Siesta Key, Fla., according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
For the last few weeks, fighter jets have been spotted soaring over Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula, part of the ‘Ramstein Flag 24’ that includes military personnel from 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay.
Western University and workers represented by CUPE 2361 have reached a tentative agreement. Members could be back to work as early as Oct. 17.
This latest crash was the second fatal and third serious accident at this intersection in the past couple of months - when asked, locals said that the intersection is 'kind of blind.'
It's the end of an era in downtown London. The Budweiser Gardens rebrand is underway.
A Barrie man accused of assaulting a police officer in late September, which then became the topic of conversation in parliament last week, has been denied bail.
Provincial police are investigating reports of an armed robbery in Amaranth Township that sent one person to the hospital in critical condition.
The jury reached a verdict on Wednesday in the 1994 Katherine Janeiro murder case, finding her former boyfriend, Bruce Ellis, not guilty.
Brett Iler pleaded not guilty to six charges Wednesday as a result of a double fatal collision in the 2022 RetroFest Classic Car Cruise.
Dozens of cars were pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor on Tuesday, causing many questions for Windsorites.
The team responsible for rescuing a man found on the metal deck beneath the main roadway of the Ambassador Bridge is one of only four such teams in the province.
Abbas Motalebizadeh is a PhD candidate at the University of Victoria’s Mechanical Engineering Department and on Wednesday he was at the Victoria International Marina to test the Inner Harbour for microplastics.
During the campaign, BC Conservative Leader John Rustad has repeatedly said people are "dying on the streets" in the province – and on Tuesday he claimed to have witnessed that very thing in downtown Vancouver while he was on his way to the leaders' debate.
American actor and environmental activist Mark Ruffalo is weighing in on British Columbia politics, lauding the B.C. Green Party's stance on fossil fuels ahead of the Oct. 19 election.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
Thousands more Lethbridge residents will soon be without a family doctor.
Alberta's police watchdog says the Medicine Hat police officers who were involved in an in-custody death in August 2023 acted reasonably and with appropriate force in dealing with a suspect armed with a machete.
Charges have been laid against a 44-year-old man following a traffic stop in Brocket, Piikani Nation RCMP said Tuesday.
An annual international mining conference is underway in Greater Sudbury, Ont., marking the first time the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Conference of Mining Regions and Cities has been held in North America.
Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.
A woman in Greater Sudbury, Ont., said "It doesn't get more Canadian than this" when she spotted a black bear dumpster diving at a Tim Hortons last month.
A Conservative MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says some small towns in his rural riding are overrun with crime, but police say they haven't received reports to that effect.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
