South Korea coronavirus cult cluster church infections spike
February 20, 2020, 10:33 am

South Korea coronavirus cult cluster church infections spike

A woman wears a mask as an employee works to prevent a new coronavirus at Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea. (AP)

A cluster of novel coronavirus infections centered on a cult church in the South Korean city of Daegu leaped to 39 cases Thursday, as the country’s total spiked for the second successive day.

Almost half the country’s patients are linked to a 61-year-old woman who is a member of the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, an entity often accused of being a cult.

She first developed a fever on February 10 but reportedly twice refused to be tested for the coronavirus because she had not recently traveled abroad, and attended at least four services before being diagnosed.

In this Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, photo, workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant against the coronavirus in front of the Sincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, South Korea. (AP)

So far 37 other members of the church have been confirmed as infected.

Shincheonji claims that its founder Lee Man-hee has donned the mantle of Jesus Christ and will take 144,000 people with him to Heaven, body, and soul, on the Day of Judgement.

Daegu’s municipal government said there were 1,001 Shincheonji members in the city, all of whom had been asked to self-quarantine, with 90 of them currently showing symptoms.

Those who have symptoms “will be tested as soon as possible”, said Daegu mayor Kwon Young-jin, urging stronger action from the government in Seoul and calling the national response “inadequate.”

https://twitter.com/koryodynasty/status/1230310284570480640

Shincheonji closed down all its facilities nationwide.

“We are deeply sorry that because of one of our members, who thought of her condition like a cold because she had not traveled abroad, led to many in our church being infected and thereby caused concern to the local community,” it said in a statement.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said in a statement that 31 new coronavirus cases had been confirmed nationwide, 23 of them in the cult cluster.

Until Tuesday, South Korea had only confirmed 31 infections, but it now has a total of 82.

Korean staff disinfect the area outside the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, South Korea, amid a coronavirus outbreak. (AFP)

Korean staff disinfects the area outside the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, South Korea, amid a coronavirus outbreak. (AFP)

source: AFP

Bloomberg rivals criticize billionaire businessman during presidential debate Two coronavirus Japan cruise ship passengers die due to infection: Media

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”