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South Korea Reports First Death From Novel Coronavirus

South Korea Reports First Death From Novel Coronavirus

The Novel Coronavirus crisis in South Korea has continued to exacerbate, after the country reported its first death and 53 new confirmed cases on Thursday. 

The first death involves a 63-year-old man who died of pneumonia on Wednesday morning at a hospital in Cheongdo, which is located in North Gyeongsang province, local outlet Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday. 

The man, who had been bedridden for more than 20 years at the hospital, tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus on Thursday after his death. 

At the same hospital, there are 13 other confirmed cases of coronavirus. 

His death is the ninth COVID-19-related death outside mainland China. 

There has been one death reported each in Francethe Philippines, and Taiwan. There have been two deaths in Hong Kong and three in Japan

Also on Thursday, South Korea’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced 53 new cases—the largest number in a single day since the country reported its first confirmed case of the virus on Jan. 20. 

The Thursday announcement came one day after South Korea reported 20 new cases

With the 53 new cases, South Korea currently has 104 known cases of coronavirus—the highest among countries with confirmed cases outside mainland China. 

Of the 53 new cases, 51 are in Daegu, which is 186 miles southeast of Seoul, and neighboring North Gyeongsang province, according to KCDC. The remaining two cases are in Seoul. 

According to South Korean media, Daegu and North Gyeongsang are home to about 5 million people. 

Of the 51 in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, 23 cases are believed to be linked to a 61-year-old South Korean woman who tested positive for the virus on Tuesday. 

The infected woman, a resident in Daegu, has infected about 40 people. Most of them had attended the same local church as the woman. 

Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin has asked the city’s residents to stay indoors, with at least 90 people of more than 1,000 others who attended the same church showing symptoms of the virus, Reuters reported on Thursday.

“We are in an unprecedented crisis,” Kwon told reporters. 

Gen. Robert B. “Abe” Abrams, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, announced on Wednesday a set of measures to protect his force.

One measure states that all service members who have been to the same church since Feb. 9 will be placed under mandatory self-quarantine. 

It also prohibits servicemen from making non-essential travel to and from Daegu. 

The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has named Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam as destinations with apparent community spread—meaning that some people are infected without knowing how or where they became infected.  

Last month, the CDC issued a level three warning for all of China, meaning that Americans should avoid all nonessential travel to China. 

Also on Thursday, the South Korean government announced that it will provide 2.5 billion won (about $2 million) in special funds to enhance safety measures in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, according to Yonhap. 

A Korean Navy sailor in his 20s on South Korea’s Jeju Island also tested positive for the virus, Yonhap reported on Thursday, citing government officials. The sailor visited Daegu from Feb. 13 to 18. He began showing symptoms of the virus after returning to his base in Jeju. 

It is not known if the sailor has been tallied as part of the 104 known cases in South Korea.

This article is from the Internet:South Korea Reports First Death From Novel Coronavirus