Seoul goes on offensive amid rise in Asia cases

New special zone in S. Korea to counter spike in infections, and Iran gets aid

SEOUL－With the emergence of a new center for the spread of the novel coronavirus, South Korea on Thursday designated another "special care zone" in its efforts to contain an outbreak that has now infected more than 6,000 people in the country.

Vice-Health Minister Kim Ganglip said that the government had designated the southeastern city of Gyeongsan as the nation's third special care zone to counter a rise in infections, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

Gyeongsan, a city of about 275,000 people 250 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has seen a spike in new cases in recent days, many of them linked to a fringe Christian group at the center of the South Korean outbreak.

Similar zones have been declared around neighboring Daegu city and Cheongdo county. The central government provides more medical resources and workers to these zones.

With 438 additional cases on Wednesday and 322 detected on Thursday, the number of those infected in the country has risen to 6,088, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Meanwhile, US Forces Korea reported two new cases, bringing to six the number of infections recorded for soldiers, employees and other people in connection to the 28,500 or so US troops stationed in South Korea.

In a fresh precautionary measure, the government extended childcare center breaks by a further two weeks to March 22, Kim said. The spring semesters for all elementary, middle and high schools had already been delayed to March 23.

As the country struggles to expand the supply of sanitary products amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, South Korea said on Thursday it will bolster its control over the production of key materials used in protective masks.

From Friday, the country will ban all exports of melt-blown nonwoven fabric filter, the key material in the production of masks, and will help companies expand their production capabilities as well. The government will also reach out to other countries for imports of the fabric.

In some positive news, South Korea released 47 fully recovered coronavirus patients on Wednesday, marking the biggest number of cured virus patients for a single day, the KCDC said.

International aid

In the Middle East, Iran on Wednesday received international aid to support its efforts to fight the virus. The country reported 591 new cases on Thursday, taking the total number of infections to 3,513.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said that a large consignment of aid was shipped from the World Health Organization. Earlier on Wednesday, the first humanitarian aid from the French government was handed over to Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education.

The Iranian health authorities said on Wednesday that 522 patients have recovered from the virus.

Iranian Minister for Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami said on Wednesday that three out of 14 new hospitals being readied had been handed over to the health ministry.

In neighboring Iraq, health authorities on Wednesday confirmed the country's first two deaths from the novel coronavirus－one in the capital Baghdad and the other in the autonomous Kurdish region.

Thailand on Thursday reported four new cases, taking its total to 47 since January.

Thailand is manufacturing as many as 50 million cloth masks that will be provided for people nationwide, Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said on Wednesday.

Local administrative organizations, under the watch of the Ministry of the Interior, would ensure production begins this week, the minister said.

The number of known coronavirus cases in India rose sharply to 29 on Wednesday, including 16 Italian tourists as well as an employee of a digital payments company who had traveled to Italy.

Authorities are increasing screenings at airports and border crossings, and urging citizens to avoid large crowds.

XINHUA