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(Yonhap) |
No new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in South Korea for the third consecutive day, but health authorities remain vigilant to monitor how the outbreak is unfolding in two neighboring Asian countries.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said the number of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus remains unchanged at 28, with seven of them having been released from hospitals after making full recoveries.
Another 21 patients currently being treated for the virus at hospitals are in stable condition, the health agency said. Only one of them is receiving oxygen therapy for pneumonia but is not in critical condition, it added.
Jeong Eun-kyeong, chief of the KCDC, said in a regular briefing that the authorities will closely monitor the situation as the virus is still spreading in China, and there are confirmed cases in Japan that had no epidemiological correlations.
China's Hubei province -- the capital of which is Wuhan, where the outbreak started in December -- announced nearly 5,000 new cases for COVID-19 in just over the previous 24 hours. Japan reported its first death, joining the Philippines and Hong Kong as the only countries outside of China where a person has died from the coronavirus.
The authorities further said it is premature to judge whether a global epidemic is peaking, as the number of cases in mainland China spiked overnight.
"New cases in China increased after Hubei province revised its method for counting infections," said Kim Gang-lip, deputy head of the central disaster headquarters.
The KCDC said the number of people who have tested negative for the virus reached 6,134 as of early Friday, with another 692 undergoing tests for possible infection.
Health authorities also said a fine of up to 3 million won ($2,530) can be levied on those who have clearly violated protocols regarding self-quarantine, Kim said.
The comments came after reports that the country's 15th confirmed COVID-19 patient dined with a family member three days after he was diagnosed with the virus. The relative later became the 20th confirmed case.
Those who are under self-isolation measures are required to eat by themselves and must stay in isolation as much as possible, the KCDC said.
All of the 701 South Koreans who are being held in two quarantine facilities south of Seoul after being evacuated from Wuhan will be released from isolation this weekend as scheduled.
They all tested negative for the virus two consecutive times after staying in temporary accommodations for 14 days, the disease's known incubation period, the KCDC said.
Meanwhile, a 1-year-old national who was evacuated to South Korea on the third chartered flight and is staying at a temporary shelter has shown a very mild fever, Kim said. The infant is currently being checked for possible infection.
South Korea has been beefing up its efforts to stem the spread of the virus. Starting Wednesday, strict quarantine screening has been enforced against entrants from Hong Kong and Macao, in addition to mainland China.
Passengers from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao are now required to use separate arrival counters at international airports across the country and must write a special quarantine report, filling out health questionnaires to check whether they have a fever or respiratory problems.
A total of 2,700 people from the regions have so far downloaded a mobile application to report their health status every day, the authorities said. Others who have failed to download the app will personally be contacted by local authorities to check on their health status. (Yonhap)
