S. Korea to convene emergency meeting over Wuhan coronavirus

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will hold an emergency meeting Friday to discuss stepped-up measures to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus as the country reported the second confirmed case of the deadly virus.

The meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, will focus on pan-government efforts to contain the virus during the Lunar New Year holiday that runs through Monday, according to the Prime Minister's Office.

South Korea on Friday reported its second confirmed case of the China coronavirus amid mounting fears the pneumonia-like illness that is spreading throughout China and other parts of the world during the Lunar New Year holiday.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), a South Korean who arrived at Gimpo International Airport, western Seoul, late Wednesday, tested positive for the new type of virus.

The 55-year-old man, who has been working in Wuhan, visited a Chinese clinic last week after suffering from a sore throat and other symptoms, the agency said.

The country reported its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus Monday when a Chinese resident who arrived at Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway, on Sunday tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, all 25 suspected cases reported here tested negative for the new coronavirus, according to the center.

The second confirmed case came as South Korea is struggling to prevent the spread of the new type of coronavirus during the four-day Lunar New Year holiday, with the country's citizens advised not to visit the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the disease.

South Korea is maintaining a high level of vigilance to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.

China announced the virus has killed 25 people so far, with 830 others confirmed to be infected, amid concerns the pneumonia-like illness is spreading quickly and widely.

sam@yna.co.kr
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