South Korean public health officials said at least 23 newly identified coronavirus cases are tied to 13 small churches -- 11 small parishes in the city of Incheon, west of Seoul, and two churches in Gyeonggi province, which surrounds the South Korean capital.
One of the 23 patients, a man in his 70s, was confirmed to have contracted the virus on May 20 and died four days later. Another septuagenarian in the church cluster is in critical condition, the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
Updates on two other clusters: Most of the 4,360 people tied to a a logistics center in Bucheon, a satellite city near Seoul, have been tested for the virus, according to Jung Eun-kyeong, the director of the KCDC. Authorities say 112 cases of Covid-19 have been identified in that cluster.
Scores of cases have also been linked to Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul. Jung said Monday that authorities have now identified 270 coronavirus patients tied to that outbreak -- 96 of whom visited the clubs and 174 who contracted the virus after being in close contact with confirmed cases.