S.Korea ‘high’ alert for COVID-19

▶ Japan’s health minister apologizes for ship debacle

South Korea is raising its alert on the new coronavirus to the “highest level,” President Moon Jae-in said Sunday, as the country reported 123 new infections.

South Korea has seen a rapid surge in the number of coronavirus cases in recent days after a cluster of infections emerged from a religious sect in Daegu the previous week.

The national toll of 556 cases is now the highest outside China, apart from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.

“The COVID-19 incident faces a grave turning point. The next few days will be crucial,” Moon said following a government meeting on the virus.

“The government will raise the alert level to the highest level of ‘grave’ according to experts’ recommendations and drastically strengthen our response system,” Moon said. He also urged officials not to hesitate from taking “unprecedented powerful measures” to contain the outbreak.

On Sunday, South Korea reported 123 new cases and two deaths, taking the countrywide toll to four. One of the victims was a patient being treated for mental health issues at a hospital in Cheongdo, a city linked to the religious sect where around 100 new cases were reported.

Among the latest infections, 75 involved the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the nearby city of Daegu, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.

More than 300 cases have been linked to the church, starting with a 61-year-old woman who developed a fever on February 10 and attended at least four church services in Daegu before being diagnosed.

Some 9,300 Shincheonji members in Daegu have either been quarantined or have been asked to stay at home, said KCDC director Jung Eunkyeong, with more than 1,240 saying they had symptoms.

Daegu, South Korea’s fourthbiggest city, with a population of 2.5 million, reported more than 90 new cases on Sunday, bringing the city’s total to 247, mayor Kwon Young-jin said.

“The crisis level of Daegu and the North Gyeongsang province is grave,” said Kwon, who advised locals to stay indoors. The mayor asked all Shincheonji members with symptoms to come forward and be tested. Authorities have yet to reach around 670 members of the church.

Shincheonji is often accused of being a cult, and claims its founder has donned the mantle of Jesus Christ and will take 144,000 people with him to heaven on judgement day.

Japan on Sunday confirmed the first case of a former Japanese passenger of the cruise ship testing positive for the disease, after initially receiving a clean bill of health.

The cases raise questions about the effectiveness of the quarantine on board the ship and fears for the nearly 1,000 former passengers allowed to move freely around Japan.

Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato apologized after it emerged 23 passengers were released without being tested during the quarantine.