A Hong Kong daily reported that the Shincheonji religious sect, suspected of causing the rapid spread of COVID-19 in South Korea, held meetings in Wuhan, the virus epicenter of China, up until last December.

The South China Morning Post(SCMP) on Wednesday said some 200 members of the religious group in Wuhan only stopped gathering after realizing that their community had been hit by the virus.

Most are reportedly under quarantine outside the city.

A 28-year-old kindergarten teacher who is a Shincheonji member said rumors about the virus began circulating in November, but no one took them seriously until the following month.

Citing sources in China, the daily said Shincheonji has about 20-thousand members in China, most of whom live in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian, Changchun and Shenyang.

One Christian pastor in Hubei province said that some Shincheonji members continued to proselytise even after the start of the outbreak.

More than half of COVID-19 infections in South Korea have been linked to a branch of the sect in Daegu, as well as a hospital in the nearby county of Cheongdo.