SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's coronavirus cases rose to 6,767 on Saturday, up by 174 from late Friday, with more than 60% of the total cases linked to a secretive church at the centre of the country's outbreak, health authorities said.
The death toll also rose to 46 from 44, Kwon Jun-wook, the Korea Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention's deputy director told a briefing on Saturday.
"63.5% of the total cases is related to the Shincheonji Church and its members, but there is a possibility that new cases increase as tests are still underway," said the deputy director. "We urge the South Korean government to condemn scapegoating and to respect religious freedom as it responds to the outbreak," the USCIRF said on Twitter on Friday.
On Friday, South Korea said it would suspend visas and visa waivers for Japan in response to Tokyo's own travel restrictions on Koreans, as fears over the coronavirus reignited a feud between the neighbours dating back to before World War Two.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
South Korea Covid-19 cases surge past 6,000SEOUL: South Korea’s total number of Covid-19 coronavirus cases – the largest outside China, where the disease first emerged – passed 6,000 on Thursday as authorities announced a ban on face mask exports and other moves to try to ensure broader supply.
Read more »
Thailand will not compensate illegal workers returning from South KoreaBANGKOK (The Nation/ANN): The Labour Ministry will only pay compensation to legal labourers who have been forced to suspend working in South Korea due to the Covid-19 outbreak, secretary to the labour minister Lt-General Nanthadet Meksawas said on Friday (March 6).
Read more »
South Korea riled by Japan's virus quarantine rulesSEOUL (AFP): Seoul will summon Japan's ambassador to protest over 'irrational' plans to impose coronavirus quarantine on arrivals from South Korea, it said Friday (March 6), accusing Tokyo of ulterior motives.
Read more »
Japan to quarantine visitors from China, South Korea, says report | The Malaysian InsightYomiuri daily says government will ask Chinese and Korean tourists to refrain from visiting and will suspend their visas.
Read more »
South Korea burns, quarantines bank notes as Covid-19 ragesSEOUL: South Korea’s central bank said on Friday it was quarantining bank notes for two weeks to remove any traces of Covid-19 coronavirus and even burning some as part of efforts to stem the outbreak.
Read more »
South Korea to void visas of Japanese visitors in virus retaliationSEOUL: South Korea suspended a visa-waiver programme for Japanese nationals on Friday (March 6) in retaliation for what it called an 'irrational' plan by Tokyo to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, escalating a diplomatic row over their containment measures.
Read more »