No additional new coronavirus cases reported in S. Korea, 15 potential cases monitored
South Korea's health authorities said Wednesday that they have not diagnosed any additional cases of the new coronavirus in the country but are monitoring 15 other potential cases amid heightened quarantine rules.
So far, the country has confirmed four cases of the novel virus, with the latest one reported on Monday.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), 112 people experienced signs of the new virus strain, and 97 have tested negative and been released from observation and isolation.
The agency will provide more details about ongoing tests on suspected cases later in the day.
Of the four confirmed cases, the first was reported on Jan. 20, with the others coming on Friday, Sunday and Monday. Authorities said they are also keeping close tabs on people who may have come in contact with those infected.
Of the four cases, the third and fourth patients were asymptomatic upon arrival here from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the fast-spreading virus, raising concerns that they may have spread it to others unknowingly.
Common symptoms of the coronavirus, thought to have originated in Wuhan, central China, include fever, sore throat and breathing difficulties, with more acute cases involving chills and muscle pain.
South Korea has already raised the country's infectious disease alert level one notch from "yellow" to "orange," the third highest.
The whole of China has been categorized as a "coronavirus risk area," and Seoul has strongly advised its citizens not to visit the central Chinese city.
Airports across South Korea have set up checkpoints to screen passengers from China and other countries for signs of illness, with local authorities accelerating quarantine efforts to contain the virus as people return from visiting relatives and from foreign travels.
China had confirmed 5,974 people infected with the virus as of early Wednesday.
The total number of infected cases worldwide has reached 6,052.
Outside China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, Macao, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Australia, Canada and the United States have reported confirmed cases of the new virus. (Yonhap)