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AFP
Two people infected with the Coruna virus have died in South Korea so far
South Korea has announced that the number of new cases of Coronavirus in the country has more than doubled in one day.
Officials said Saturday that 229 new infections had been confirmed since Friday, bringing the total number to 433.
Deputy Health Minister Kim Gang Leeb said the spread of the disease has entered a “dangerous new stage”.
The authorities stated that many of the new cases were linked to one hospital and a particular religious group, near the southeastern city of Daegu.
Two patients have died in South Korea so far, and there are fears of a high number.
The nearby cities of Daegu and Cheongdo, where the aforementioned Dynam Hospital is located, were declared as areas requiring “special care”. Daegu’s streets were also largely deserted.
South Korea has now become the focus of the largest number of confirmed cases outside of China, in which 76,288 cases were recorded, including 2345 deaths, as well as after the “Diamond Princess” cruise ship off the coast of Japan, which witnessed more than 600 cases.
Meanwhile, China’s health authorities announced a reduction in the death rate and new infections of the Coronavirus today, Saturday.
The Director of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanum Gebresos, expressed concern about the number of new cases, which have no apparent link to China, or previously confirmed cases.
The biggest concern now, he said, is the countries with the weakest health systems, especially on the African continent.
Outside of China, more than 1,200 cases of HIV have been confirmed in 26 countries, and at least 8 deaths have occurred, according to the World Health Organization.
In another development, Iran announced on Saturday the death of one person, among ten new infections from the Coruna virus, which brings the total number of deaths due to the epidemic in the Islamic Republic to five, and the number of infected to 28.
What happened in South Korea?
Health officials announced on Saturday 142 new cases of coronavirus, and several hours later they announced an additional 87 infections.
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EPA
Wearing masks spread in South Korea after the declaration of a health emergency
In a statement, the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that among the 229 new cases, 95 are linked to the Dynam Hospital in Cheongdo. She added that there are now 114 confirmed cases in hospital, including 9 employees and 102 patients.
South Korea has so far witnessed two deaths from the virus, a 63-year-old man in Dynam Hospital last Wednesday, and another patient who died Friday in Busan after being transferred from the same hospital, the official Yonhap News Agency announced.
The CDC said that 62 of the new cases were linked to a Christian community in Daegu called “Shinchonji”.
The authorities highlighted that a large number of followers of the sect attended the funeral and consolation of the founder’s brother, from January 31 to February 2, indicating the possible cause of the concentrations of injuries among them.
The health authorities said that they had placed the “Shinshongi” community, numbering more than 9,000 people, in self-quarantine, and that more than 500 of them were being tested for the Coronavirus.
The sect announced, that it has now closed its branch in Daegu, and that prayers and rituals in other regions will be held online, or individually at home.
At a press conference, the South Korean Deputy Minister of Health expressed optimism that the disease could be contained in the area around Daegu.
“Although we are beginning to see some other cases nationwide, the cases are still sporadic outside the special administration area in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province,” he told reporters.
Worried about Africa
In a special speech addressed to the African Union on Saturday, the Director of the World Health Organization said that the organization is working with African governments to train thousands of workers in the health sector, and to provide the necessary equipment to detect and treat the injured.
“Our greatest concern remains the potential for the spread of the Covid-19 virus in countries that suffer from poor health systems. We are working hard to prepare countries in Africa for the possible arrival of the virus,” said Dr. Gebresus.
He added that some African countries, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are using their experience from the Ebola virus test to test the new Corona virus.
“This is a great example of how investing in health systems can benefit health security,” he said.
On Saturday, a team of WHO experts is scheduled to arrive in Wuhan, the Chinese stronghold of the virus, for further studies on the disease and ways to combat it.
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