S. Korea ups anti-virus fight in Daegu and neighboring region as cases near 1,000

The 144 additional cases brought the nation's total infections to 977, according to the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). It marked a more than 30-fold surge since Feb. 18, when the number stood at 31, Yonhap reports.

Two clusters of infections -- at a branch of a religious sect in Daegu and a hospital in the neighboring county of Cheongdo -- have continued to expand, accounting for about 70 percent of the total cases in the country.

In his first visit to Daegu since the virus began spreading, President Moon Jae-in reassured the city's residents that his administration will spare no efforts to slow the pace of new infections within this week.

«The government will muster pan-national capabilities and win the fight against the virus together with Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province,» Moon said.

To that end, Moon added, there should be a «clear turning point this week in the upward trend of the number of confirmed patients.»

Earlier in the day, the government, the ruling Democratic Party and the presidential office decided to implement stepped-up containment measures in Daegu and North Gyeongsang but said there is no lockdown in the regions.

The government has designated Daegu and the adjacent county of Cheongdo as «special care zones» to better cope with the outbreak of COVID-19.

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