S.Korea confirms 284 more cases of COVID-19, 1,261 in total
A railway worker wearing protective gear sprays disinfectant as part of preventive measures against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at a railway station in Seoul on February 25.
South Korea confirmed 284 more cases of the COVID-19 on Wednesday, raising the total number of infections to 1,261, and the death toll rose to 12.
As of 4pm local time, the number of infected patients totaled 1,261, up 284 from the previous day. The number of deaths from the virus increased to 12 with two more deaths reported.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has updated the data twice a day at 10am and 5pm local time.
The virus infections rose sharply for the past week, with 946 new cases reported on Feb. 19-25. The country raised its four-tier virus alert to the highest "red" level on Sunday.
The National Assembly passed three bills to revise laws on infectious disease, quarantine and the medical service.
Under the revised infectious disease act, people with symptoms who refuse to be tested for virus could face up to a fine of 3 million won (US$2,470).
People with symptoms who refuse to be placed under self-quarantine and hospitalized could face up to a one-year imprisonment or a fine of 10 million won (US$8,220).
Under the revision, the health minister is allowed to ban the exports of face masks and hand sanitizers at a time of supply shortage or price spike, while the health ministry must have at least 100 epidemiological investigators from the previous 30.
Face masks would be provided for children and the elderly at state welfare facilities when the virus alert is lifted to the third-highest level.
Under the amended quarantine act, the health minister can ask the justice minister to ban entry to foreigners from regions affected by or at a risk of an epidemic.
The revised medical service act involved the strengthened monitoring of patients, families and medical workers at hospitals.
Of the total patients, 1,027 were residents in Daegu, about 300 km southeast of the capital Seoul, and its surrounding North Gyeongsang province.
Two clusters of infections in the country's southeastern region led to the recent viral spread.
As of Wednesday morning, 597 cases were linked to the church services of a minor religious group, called Sincheonji, in Daegu.
The health authorities planned to complete the test on about 1,300 Sincheonji followers of the Daegu branch, who attended the closed, crowded church services earlier this month, by Wednesday.
The authorities secured the entire list of some 212,000 Sincheonji followers across the country, with which the local governments planned to check the whole followers with infection symptoms.
The KCDC asked all religious groups to refrain from gatherings, recommending all the Sincheonji followers to stay at home if possible.
Meanwhile, 114 cases were traced to Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo county, just south of Daegu. Test for all of about 650 patients and medical staff was completed as almost all the patients at the hospital's psychiatric ward tested positive for the virus.
The government designated Deagu and Cheongdo as a "special care zone" last week, while protest demonstrations were banned in downtown areas of Seoul.
In the southeastern port city of Busan, the sign of another cluster infection was found as 23 patients were linked to a church retreat. The number of infections in Busan rose to 58.
The number of infections in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province gained to 49 and 51 each.
Since January 3, the country has tested more than 53,000 people, among whom 31,576 tested negative for the COVID-19 virus and 20,716 were being checked.
A total of 24 patients have been discharged from quarantine after making full recoveries.
