South Korean authorities have questioned the leader of a secretive church linked to more than 30 per cent of the country’s total COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile new COVID-19 clusters in China’s Xinjiang region see hundreds of flights in and out of its capital Urumqi cancelled.
This story was last updated at 4: 00am on Saturday.
Saturday’s key moments:
- China’s Xinjiang region sees hundreds of flights cancelled after new clusters
- New cases in Brazil stabilise, but country still ‘in the middle’ of epidemic
- Britain eyes normal life by Christmas, but preparing for second COVID-19 wave
- Israel sees surge in cases, as Netanyahu orders closures on weekends
South Korea probes church over massive cluster
South Korean prosecutors have questioned the leader of a secretive church sect over accusations it hampered the Government’s anti-virus response after thousands of COVID-19 infections were detected among its members in February and March.
Lee Man-hee, the 88-year-old chairman of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, was questioned for about four hours at a district prosecutors’ office in Suwon, south of Seoul, before being sent home after he complained about unspecified health problems, prosecution and church officials said.
Hwang Seong-hyeon, a prosecutor in Suwon, said his office plans to summon Mr Lee again for further questioning over the possibility that the church violated the country’s infectious disease law.
Mr Lee and other Shincheonji leaders have faced suspicions of hiding some of the church’s membership and under-reporting its worship activities to health authorities to avoid broader quarantines.
Prosecutors last week arrested three senior members of the church over the allegations.
Mr Lee and Shincheonji leaders have steadfastly denied the accusations, saying the church has been properly cooperating with health authorities.
More than 5,200 of South Korea’s 13,672 cases ha