S. Korea reports 52 new virus cases, total now at 156

SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 52 new cases of the new coronavirus on Friday, bringing the total number of infections in the nation to 156.

The number of COVID-19 infections here has almost tripled in just three days, with most new infections traced to church services in the southeastern city of Daegu.

Of the 52 new cases, 41 are in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and neighboring North Gyeongsang province. Another three were reported in Seoul, the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

The spike of infections in Daegu and several cases in Seoul, where routes of infections are not immediately traceable, have prompted health officials to declare that COVID-19 has begun spreading locally.

The health authorities said that cases have been reported in central ChungCheong Province and on Jeju Island as well.

The government decided to designate Daegu and neighboring Cheongdo as "special management zones," following the spike in the number of infected people and the nation's first death from the virus.

kdh@yna.co.kr
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