Published 16:43 IST, February 25th 2020
South Korea confirms 84 new coronavirus cases, death toll reaches 10
Amid coronavirus outbreak, Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 84 more new cases, taking the total of the country to nearly 977.
Amid coronavirus outbreak, South Korea reportedly confirmed 84 more new cases, taking the total of the country to nearly 977. The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's (KCDC) has also reported that South Korea is the largest nation with the highest number of confirmed cases outside China. Furthermore, KCDC also confirmed that one more person died, taking the toll to ten.
According to an international media agency, out of the new cases, 16 were in the south-eastern city of Daegu. Earlier this week, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in also raised the alert level to 'highest' as the number of infected people in the nation soared. The US Defense Secretary Mark Esper also said that the commander of US forces in South Korea, General Robert Abrams and the head of the joint chief of staff, General Park Han-ki, are looking at scaling back the military exercise due to the concerns about the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
On the other hand, Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly said that the epidemic is China's 'largest public health emergency' since its founding in 1949. Jinping further called the outbreak a 'crisis' and said that the epidemic has the 'fastest transmission' and the widest range of infection which has been the most difficult to prevent and control.
READ: Indian Boxers In Italy Offered Early Flyout Due To Coronavirus But To Stay Put As "threat Far Away"
Death toll surpasses 2,600 in China
Meanwhile, the death toll in China has surpassed 2,600 and the National Health Commission reportedly confirmed 508 new cases. The total number of confirmed cases within China also hit nearly 77,658. First detected in the city of Wuhan, in Hubei Province of China, the virus outbreak has now spread across more than 25 countries since December 2019 and more than 1,700 people have recovered from the disease, whereas, nearly 12,500 coronavirus patients have by now been reportedly discharged from hospitals.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also claimed that the biggest fear for the organisation is that the virus will continue to spread to other countries and especially those with weaker health systems. Furthermore, the organisation has also called on the world to pledge $675 million in support of the most vulnerable countries.
Updated 16:43 IST, February 25th 2020