South Korean authorities were scrambling on Wednesday to contain coronavirus outbreaks centered around Christian schools as the country reported a jump in infections, dampening hopes of a speedy exit from a third wave of the pandemic.

A total of 297 COVID-19 cases had been traced to six churches and mission schools run by a Christian organization, senior health official Yoon Tae-ho told a briefing.

More than 100 cases were confirmed overnight among people linked to a church and its mission school in Gwangju, about 270 kilometers south of Seoul, officials said. Another 171 cases had been linked to an affiliated school in the city of Daejeon since Jan. 17.