Daegu (South Korea) (AFP)

South Korea announced Friday that it has registered 52 new cases of Covid-19 disease, mostly linked to a Christian sect in a major city, bringing the number of infected patients in the country to 156.

Excluding the focus of infection on the Diamond Princess liner in Japan, South Korea is the second country to have the highest number of cases nationally after China, where the epidemic began. widespread.

Thirty-nine of the new cases are linked to "Shincheonji Church of Jesus" in the city of Daegu, the fourth largest in South Korea, said the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In total, more than 80 faithful of this church were contaminated.

A 61-year-old woman, a member of this Christian sect and who did not know that she had contracted viral pneumonia, allegedly transmitted the virus to them, notably by attending religious services.

The mayor of Daegu, which has more than 2.5 million inhabitants, invited the population to stay at home.

For its part, the command of the garrison of the American army installed in the city - which represents a total of about 10,000 people - has restricted its access.

- "It's too late" -

"I haven't had a single customer this week (...) I've never seen that," And Lee Yoo-jin, 73, a 20-year-old store manager, told AFP. clothing.

Employees on motorcycles sprayed disinfectant outside of Shincheonji Church on Friday.

Nearby, a 24-year-old passer-by, Seo Dong-min, expressed his concern: "With so many confirmed cases here, I'm afraid Daegu will become a second Wuhan", referring to the city in central China where the first case of the new coronavirus was registered and which is the cradle.

"Now it's everywhere (...) it's too late," said a passer-by, Ms. Kim.

The Shincheonji Church is a sect that claims that its founder, Lee Man-hee, has put on the garments of Jesus Christ and will take 144,000 people to heaven on Judgment Day.

The Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention said another case was confirmed at a Cheongdo county hospital not far from Daegu, bringing the number of infected people - patients and staff - to 16 in this establishment.

- "In-depth investigation" -

A patient died Wednesday of the new coronavirus.

Cheongdo is the birthplace of Mr. Lee, the founder of the Church of Shincheonji. County officials said that three weeks ago the funeral of Mr. Lee's brother was held for three days in a room belonging to this hospital.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has called for a "thorough investigation" into each of those who attended the funeral and the church services in Shincheonji.

"If you just rely on the information provided by the church, the process can be slow," he said, stressing the need for "faster action".

Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin said the local government has reviewed 3,700 members of the Shincheonji Church, and of these, 409 said they had symptoms of the new coronavirus.

The South Korean government said on Friday that Daegu and Cheongdo were becoming "special management areas".

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Seoul would support the affected region, including sending medical personnel, beds for the sick and supplies.

The Shincheonji Church has closed all of its structures in South Korea.

© 2020 AFP