Coronavirus: South Korea placed on ‘red alert’ as sixth person dies and number of cases soars

‘Although the situation is grave, we can overcome it ... The government has adequate ability and confidence to control and manage the spread of the infectious disease,’ says president

South Korea has been put on its highest “red” alert for infectious diseases after 602 coronavirus cases were confirmed and the death toll rose to six.

President Moon Jae-in said the country’s recent outbreak of coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, has reached a “crucial watershed” and the “next few days will be a very important critical moment”.

It marks the first time South Korea has raised the virus alert level to its highest in 11 years, with the last red alert raised as a step to combat influenza A (H1N1).

Speaking at a government meeting on the response to the outbreak, Mr Moon mentioned the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a religious sect viewed as the centre of the recent outbreak.

The infection is believed to have spread after one of the church’s members, a woman in her sixties, attended multiple services in the city of Daegu before testing positive for the virus last week.

Since then, the number of cases has shot up to 602 and another death was confirmed on Sunday by the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, bringing the death toll up to six.

The centres’ chief Jeong Eun-kyeong told reporters that more than 300 patients had been linked to a branch of the local Shincheonji church in Daegu and have become the largest virus cluster.

Additionally, the government extended winter school holidays for a week as a preventative measure.

Mr Moon said: “The government will perceive the crisis in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province as a national one.

“It will concentrate state capabilities on riding out the difficulty without sparing any support for the regions designated as ‘special care zones’.”

He also requested that the followers of Shincheonji church cooperate with the efforts and told the public to avoid going to events, both indoors and outdoors, reported The Korea Herald.

“Although the situation is grave, we can overcome it,” he said. “The government has adequate ability and confidence to control and manage the spread of the infectious disease.

“Trust and cooperation are the way to win the fight against the virus.”

Health minister Park Neung-hoo added: “The coronavirus is more contagious and spreads quickly during the early stage of the outbreak, and therefore preemptive measures are needed considering a possibility that the virus could develop to a nationwide spread from a community spread.

“We believe a week to 10 days will be crucial to determine the spread of the coronavirus.”

As the number of cases rise precautions have been taken by Israel and Palestinian authorities, after they learnt that 17 South Korean Catholics from the North Gyeongsang Province and their tour guide in Seoul had toured some of Israel’s most popular sites and were later found to be carrying the virus.

On Sunday, South Korea’s foreign ministry said South Koreans onboard a Korean Air flight were refused entry to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International airport on Saturday evening.

The ministry said: “As the measure was taken without notice in advance by Israel, we have lodged a complaint for causing inconveniences to our travellers and asked to prevent a recurrence.”

Elsewhere, the US State Department on Saturday raised its travel advisory level for South Korea from 1 to 2, which warns travellers to avoid contact with sick people.

Additional reporting by agencies