TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A COVID-19 cluster which broke out at a religious gathering has grown to 28 cases, including half of the eight new local infections, reports said Saturday (Feb. 19).

The Feb. 13 meeting has been closely watched because it was attended by people from all over Taiwan. While reportedly religious in nature, the event also included a meal and singing at a KTV.

On Saturday, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that all contacts of the COVID cases that are part of the cluster would have to spend their period of isolation at official quarantine centers, CNA reported. The government will pay for the expenses of the isolation.

According to the CECC, the cluster has expanded beyond the religious meeting, as a high school student from New Taipei City who attended the event, Taiwan's case No.19,951, infected one of his classmates, case No. 20,019. A total of 29 students and 13 teachers tested negative for COVID, but the CECC said it would closely monitor them for two more days.

The government body also confirmed that the religious meeting had been attended by an employee of a Yageo Corporation electronics factory in Kaohsiung City’s Nanzih District. However, tests showed all 1,338 staff members to be negative for COVID.