20th February, 2020
South Korea has reported its first death from the new coronavirus.
The authorities on Thursday confirmed the death with 53 new cases recorded in a single day to bring the total infection cases to 104.
According to report by Yonhap, most new cases occurred in the southeastern city of Daegu.
The city’s mayor was said to have urged its 2.5 million people to refrain from going outside to stem the spread of the virus.
This week’s surge in the number of infected people, increasing the nation’s total infections by more than 70, came as the health authorities warned that the virus has begun spreading locally.
Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kim Kang-lip was quoted by reporters as saying, “At this stage, (the government) judged that COVID-19 is spreading locally with a limited scope.”
The health authorities have been adjusting its quarantine and prevention work to cope with local transmission, according to the minister.