SEOUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd February, 2020) The South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Sunday they had registered 46 new cases of the coronavirus disease, officially called COVID-19, which brings the number of those infected in the country to 602, while the number of those who died due to the disease had increased to five people.
Earlier in the day, the number of cases was reported to be 556, while the death toll stood at four.
"As of 16:00 [07:00 GMT], 23 February, 2020, 46 additional cases have been confirmed, compared to this morning (09:00, 23 February)," the centers said in a statement.
In light of these developments, South Korea has moved to the highest virus alert level, according to the Yonhap news agency.
"The COVID-19 incident has been confronted by a grave watershed," President Moon Jae-in said as quoted by Yonhap.
Later on Sunday, the authorities confirmed the sixth death from the coronavirus, Yonhap reported.
According to the news agency, the deceased was a patient at the same hospital, located in the city of Cheongdo, where the country's first COVID-19 death was registered.
Over 300 of the cases are traced back to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.
