It’s unclear whether South Korea’s previous formula of success would be as effective since the Seoul region has many more people and new clusters are occurring in varied places as people increasingly venture out in public.

Churches had been a major course of new cases in the Seoul area before authorities shut them this week while raising social distancing restrictions, something they had resisted for months out of economic concerns. Nightclubs, karaoke bars, buffet restaurants and computer gaming cafes are also closed while spectators have been prohibited again from baseball and soccer games.

Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said 739 infections confirmed as of Friday were linked to members of a northern Seoul church led by a vocal critic of the country’s president. Sarang Jeil Church pastor Jun Kwang-hun was hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday after participating in an anti-government protest last week where he shared a microphone on stage with other activists.

Health workers have used location data provided by cellphone carriers to identify some 15,000 people who spent more than 30 minutes on the streets where the protests took place and are alerting them to get tested, Kim said. At least 60 infections have been linked to the protests.

In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:

— India’s coronavirus caseload crosses 2.9 million with a surge of 68,898 in the past 24 hours. The Health Ministry on Friday also reported 983 more deaths, taking total fatalities to 54,849. India has been recording at least 50,000 new infections per day since mid-July. Four of India’s 28 states now account for 63% of fatalities and 54.6% of cases. Western Maharashtra state and three southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are the worst-hit. The Health Ministry said more than 900,000 tests are being done and the rate of tests that are positive for the virus is averaging 8%, but it will be lowered through isolation, tracking and clinical management.