South Korea registers first death associated with new coronavirus
South Korea recorded its first death from the new coronavirus (Covid-19).
The South Korean Disease Control and Prevention Center has nonetheless not yet provided further details about the death in the country.
Earlier today, South Korean officials confirmed that there are 82 cases of the new coronavirus in South Korea, after 35 new infections were reported.
The news agency EFE reported, however, that the number of cases rose to 104, after registering 53 new patients infected with the virus.
The mayor of Daegu (southeast), Kwon Young-jin, said today that his city and other neighbors have registered additional cases of infection with the new coronavirus and that, due to this situation, he asked for help from the central government.
Kwon asked, at a press conference broadcast on national television, that the city’s inhabitants, about 2.5 million people, avoid leaving home and wear a mask as protection.
According to the AP, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Korea said at least 28 of the 35 new patients went to religious services attended by a patient with the virus or contacted him at the same church in Daegu.
This patient is a South Korean woman, about 60 years old, who has no recent record of travel abroad, according to Center officials. The woman tested positive for the new coronavirus on Tuesday.
The Church of Jesus Shincheonji, which claims to have about 200,000 followers in South Korea, said it closed all 74 churches across the country and told followers to watch its religious services on the social network YouTube.
The Church said in a statement that health officials were disinfecting the church in Daegu that the patient attended, while trying to locate the faithful who were there. This Daegu church has about 8,000 followers.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the central government would make all assistance available to help Daegu fight the spread of the virus, according to the Presidency.
The death toll from the new coronavirus today rose to 2,118 in mainland China, while the lowest daily increase in new cases of infection in almost a month was recorded at 394.
The total number of patients was 74,576. However, the number of new daily cases is the lowest since 25 January.
On the other hand, Hubei province, whose capital Wuhan is the center of the outbreak, recorded 108 new deaths and 349 new cases of infection. Only Wuhan recorded the majority of fatalities, 1,585, and infection cases, 45,027.
Several cities in the area have been quarantined since last January 23, in a measure that affects about 60 million people.
Globally, the virus has infected more than 75,000 people.
In addition to the 2,118 killed in mainland China, two people died in the Chinese region of Hong Kong, two in Iran, one in the Philippines, one in Japan, one in France, one in Taiwan and now one in South Korea.