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Coronavirus: South Korea reports 231 new cases, seventh death as infections leap to 833
- More than 100 of the new cases were linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu
- South Korean airlines halt flights to Daegu a day after the country raised its virus alert to the highest level
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South Korea reported 231 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of infected patients in the country to 833, health authorities said on Monday, a day after the government raised its infectious disease alert to its highest level.
Of the new cases, 115 were linked to a church in the southeastern city of Daegu after a 61-year-old woman known as “Patient 31” who attended services there tested positive, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
KCDC also reported the seventh death from the virus, a 62-year-old man from a hospital in Cheongdo, a county that saw surges in confirmed cases along with nearby Daegu in recent weeks.
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Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the new outbreak, with Patient 31 having no recent record of overseas travel.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday said the government had raised the country’s disease alert by one notch to the fourth and highest level in a bid to contain a surge in new cases.
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Of the total confirmed cases, more than 300 were linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus congregation in Daegu.
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