Iran Press/ Asia: South Korean President Moon Jae-in said: "The entire country has entered war against the infectious disease as the crisis in Daegu and Gyeongbuk province has reached the highest point."
He also apologized for the shortage of face masks, saying: "I am very sorry to the people that we are not able to supply masks swiftly and sufficiently, and have caused inconvenience," Sky News reported.
South Korea, one of Asia's largest economies, has the highest number of COVID-19 cases outside China, where the coronavirus originate.
Hundreds of passengers from South Korea arriving in eastern China were placed in isolation after people on two flights were discovered to have fevers last week. No infections have been confirmed so far.
The Coronavirus outbreak began in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and appears to have been originated from non-domestic animals. Chinese officials now admit that the virus probably spread in Wuhan in November or even earlier.
More than 3,100 people have died and over 90,000 have been infected worldwide. The vast majority of cases are in China.
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