South Korean Officials Report 10th Death From COVID-19 As Number Of Cases Grows To 977

South Korean Officials Report 10th Death From COVID-19 as Number of Cases Grows to 977

South Korea's health officials reported on Tuesday afternoon the 10th death from the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, while the number of confirmed cases has risen by 84 people up to 977, compared to the morning of the same day

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th February, 2020) South Korea's health officials reported on Tuesday afternoon the 10th death from the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, while the number of confirmed cases has risen by 84 people up to 977, compared to the morning of the same day.

According to a report of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the deceased person was a male patient of Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo born in 1962, adding that medics are still looking into the concrete cause of death. The KCDC's report indicates that 44 new cases have been registered in the city of Daegu, the center of the country's outbreak, another 23 in the neighboring North Gyeongsang Province, while the rest are from various regions across the country, including four cases in Seoul.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported earlier in the day that the nation's arts troupes, galleries, theaters and other institutions, as well as foreign singers such as UK's MIKA and US's Khalid were postponing or canceling planned concerts, exhibitions, performances and cultural events amid the outbreak of the deadly virus.

The Shincheonji Church of Jesus sect's branch in the city of Daegu has been identified as a hotbed for the COVID-19 respiratory disease in South Korea. Thousands of its followers have been told to self-isolate. The chain reaction allegedly began with a 61-year old parishioner from Daegu, who refused to be tested for the virus as she had never visited China in the past.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in during his visit to Daegu set the end of the week as a deadline for reaching a "clear turning point" in the fight against the COVID-19 in the country.

"The government will muster pan-national capabilities and win the fight against the virus together with Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province," the president added, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

The novel coronavirus was first detected in China in late December and has since spread to more than 25 other countries, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency.