South Korea COVID-19 cases exceed 2,000
29 February, 2020
South Korea reported 571 coronavirus cases on Friday (Feb 28), taking its total - the best in the world outside China - to 2,337, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
More than 90 % of the new cases were in Daegu - the town at the epicentre of the outbreak in South Korea - and the neighbouring North Gyeongsang province, it added.
To date, 13 persons in South Korea have died after contracting COVID-19.
South Korea's total is expected to increase further after checks commenced on a lot more than 210,000 members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive entity often accused to be a cult that is associated with around half of the country's cases.
A 61-year-old female member developed a fever on Feb 10, but attended at least four church services in Daegu - South Korea's fourth-largest city with a population of 2.5 million - before being diagnosed.
Daegu mayor Kwon Young-jin said the city's total could reach as much as 3,000 in the coming days as more test outcomes on Shincheonji members come through, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
"The next one week could be the tipping point," he said.
The coronavirus, which started in China, has rapidly spread to more than 50 other countries and territories.
China's central Hubei province had 318 new confirmed cases on Friday, down from 409 cases a day earlier and the cheapest since Jan 24.
That brings the full total accumulated number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 78,824.
Countries including the USA have issued travel advisories urging citizens to "reconsider travel" to South Korea.
Both US and South Korean forces postponed a joint drill on Thursday, after Seoul declared its highest "severe" alert level over the virus.
The outbreak has prompted South Korean boy band BTS to cancel its scheduled April concerts in Seoul, according to its music label, Big Hit Entertainment.
BTS had scheduled a "MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR - SEOUL" tour for April 11, 12, 18 and 19 at Seoul's Olympic Stadium.
Hyundai Motor turn off a factory in South Korea on Friday after an employee tested positive for the new coronavirus, disrupting production of popular models such as for example Palisade sport utility vehicle.
South Korea's tech giant Samsung Electronics turn off a phone factory in the southeastern city of Gumi in the last weekend after one of its personnel tested positive. It resumed production on Monday.
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