South Korean virus cases jump again, 1st US soldier infected

South Korean virus cases jumped again on Wednesday and US military confirmed its first case among American soldiers based in Asian country, with his case and many ors connected to a souastern city with a growing illness cluster.

South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 216 of 284 new cases were in Daegu, where government has been mobilizing public health tools to contain spre of outbreak, and in neighbouring towns.

US military said 23-year-old soldier was in self-quarantine at his off-base residence. He h been based in Camp Carroll in a town near Daegu, and visited both Carroll and nearby Camp Walker in recent days, according to statement.

South Korean authorities and US military health professionals were tracing his contacts to determine if or people may have been exposed.

About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea as deterrence against potential aggression from rth Korea. United States Forces Korea previously said a widowed dependent h virus, first case involving a USFK-related individual. South Korea's 600,000-member military has reported 18 cases and quarantined thousands of soldiers as a precaution.

Bowling alleys, movie atres and a golf course at four US bases were closed after soldier's case was confirmed, Colonel Edward Ballanco, commander of US Army Garrison Daegu, said.

All restaurants at bases, and at Camp George in Daegu, could w provide only takeout meals with soldiers and family members prohibited from dining re, he said.

"This is a setback, it's true, re's getting around that, but it's t end of war," he said on a video mess posted on Facebook.

"We are very well equipped to fight this thing off. I am certain that, that soldier that has tested positive, he's on his way up to Camp Humphreys today, is going to get better medical care than anyone else in Korea who has coronavirus."

South Korea w has 1,261 confirmed infections of virus and 11 fatalities from COVID-19 illness it causes. national government has been channelling medical personnel, protective suits and or supplies to Daegu, and re are concerns local hospitals are being overwhelmed and fatigued doctors are becoming vulnerable to infections.

"This week will be critical in fight to combat illness," Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun said at a meeting in Daegu City Hall to discuss quarantine efforts.

number of cases were expected to rise as health workers finish testing hundreds of members of Daegu branch of a church that has country's biggest cluster of infections.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which mainstream Christian organisations describe as a cult, provided a list of 212,000 members nationwide to government authorities who plan to widen screening.

Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said authorities plan to find and test churchgoers exhibiting symptoms first.

South Korea's virus patients also include a 25-year-old cabin crew member of Korean Air, country's biggest airline, who worked on a flight that departed from Israel and arrived in South Korea on February 16, according to Jung Eun-kyeong, director of KCDC. flight also carried a group of tourists, of which 30 have tested positive.

China, by far, still has most cases and deaths from illness, though its daily increase in cases has slowed recently. Chinese officials Wednesday reported ar 406 cases and 52 ditional deaths, all of m in hard-hit Hubei province and all but 10 in epicenter of city of Wuhan.

China has recorded 2,715 deaths from COVID-19 and 78,064 confirmed cases of virus on mainland since illness emerged in December.

China has put Wuhan and nearby cities under virtual quarantine for weeks, halting nearly all movement except for disease prevention, health care and supplying necessities. It has sent thousands of personnel to build and staff virus-dedicated hospitals in epicentre region.

In capital Beijing and throughout country, public events were cancelled and factories, offices and schools closed.

Chinese banks have been ordered to disinfect old banktes before reissuing m to public. State brocaster CCTV showed staff of a state-owned bank in Shanghai putting old banktes under ultraviolet disinfection and putting m into a vault.

bank told CCTV money removed from high-risk sites such as hospitals and markets would t be returned to circulation. Or banktes will be disinfected and sealed for at least 7 days before being recirculated, bank said. (AP) SCY