Fears growing over coronavirus pandemic

Officials from a public health center in Daegu disinfect streets near a church, Thursday, as dozens of the members of the church were confirmed to have been infected with the new coronavirus. / Yonhap

Korea reports 1st death of coronavirus patient

By Jun Ji-hye

The government said Thursday that it had confirmed 53 new cases of COVID-19 (nCoV-2019) infection, reporting a surge in patients for the second consecutive day and raising the total to 104.

It also announced the first death of a novel coronavirus patient, saying the 63-year-old man died Wednesday after being diagnosed with pneumonia at a hospital in North Gyeongsang Province. A post-mortem examination revealed the deceased had been infected with the virus.

The central disaster management headquarters (CDMH) said the health authorities were working to determine the exact cause of death, remaining cautious about concluding that he died from the new coronavirus.

The announcement came a day after the administration confirmed 20 additional cases. The surge in the number of infected people has increased Korea's total infections by more than 70 in two days.

Among the 53 new patients, 51 reside in Daegu and the adjacent North Gyeongsang Province, while two are Seoul residents, according to the CDMH.

Of the 51 living in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, 28 are believed to have been infected with the virus at a Daegu church attended by the 31st patient, a 61-year-old woman who tested positive Tuesday.

The number of patients believed to have been infected at the church has increased to 43, including 14 confirmed Wednesday and the 31st patient.

The health authorities said the incident at the church was a "super spread" of the infectious virus.

Following the surge in infections in the southeastern region, the government declared that the contagious virus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has begun spreading locally.

"We are taking a close look at the cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province," Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kim Kang-lip told reporters. "At this stage, the government judges that COVID-19, which entered the nation from another country, has begun spreading locally although within a limited scope."

He noted the government is changing its quarantine measures to cope with changes in the situation.

"We will maintain efforts to block the influx of the virus from overseas though," Kim said.

As the latest development has stoked fears of the virus spreading rapidly in the southeast, municipalities there have gone on high alert.

The Daegu City Government has sought to question the 1,001 members of the church attended by the 31st patient as she visited there at least twice after becoming symptomatic.

Ninety of them said they had symptoms, while 515 responded they had none, it said, adding that it has been unable to contact the remaining 396. This raises the likelihood that the virus could spread further afield.

"Citizens are advised to wear facial masks and refrain from going out," Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin said.

The city has also asked the central government to provide medical staff and relevant equipment if the number of patients in the region continues to grow.

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