S. Korea vows to step up control efforts

SEOUL－With the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in South Korea approaching 1,000 on Tuesday, the authorities vowed to maximize their containment measures in the southeastern city of Daegu and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province.

The government's pledge coincides with stepped-up efforts in many other Asian countries to halt the epidemic.

An additional 144 cases reported on Tuesday brought South Korea's total infections to 977, according to the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The country now has the second-most cases in the world, recording a more than 30-fold surge in the numbers since Feb 18, when there were 31 infections.

Two clusters of infections－at a branch of a religious sect in Daegu and a hospital in the neighboring county of Cheongdo－have continued to expand, accounting for about 70 percent of the total cases in the country. Ten people have been reported to have died in South Korea from the virus.

Since raising the virus alert level to "red", the highest level, on Sunday, South Korean authorities have focused on halting the spread of the virus in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, the country's Yonhap News Agency reported.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the situation was "very grave" and the government will "muster pan-national capabilities "to win the fight against the virus.

The government said on Tuesday that it will test more than 200,000 members of the church at the center of the surge in Daegu, and designate Daegu and Cheongdo county as "special care zones" to better cope with the outbreak.

The US and South Korean militaries also said on Tuesday that they may cut back joint training due to the virus.

The number of cases reported in South Korea has outstripped that of Japan. Japan confirmed 850 cases nationwide and a fourth death as of Tuesday. The cases included 691 recorded from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Questions have been raised about whether the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which are slated for July 24, should be moved or canceled. But Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said on Tuesday that "it was still too early "to talk about that.

A new government strategy for fighting the outbreak, unveiled at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, urged all Japanese companies to recommend telecommuting for workers and the staggering of shifts. People with symptoms of cold or fever were advised to stay at home, and event organizers told to consider whether to proceed with plans.

The Iranian Health Ministry said on Tuesday that its Deputy Minister Iraj Harirchi had tested positive for the virus.

Iran raised the official death toll from the virus to 15, among 95 confirmed infections as of Tuesday. Five neighboring countries－Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Afghanistan－also have reported cases of the virus, with all those infected having links to Iran.

Agencies Via Xinhua