South Korean President cancels tri-nation visit amid coronavirus outbreak

Blue House spokesman Kang Min-seok reportedly said in a statement on March 4 that President of South Korea Moon Jae-in has reportedly cancelled his scheduled visits to the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Turkey in the middle of March amid the growing concerns of coronavirus outbreak. The statement reportedly read that due to the recent concerns over the nationwide spread of the deadly virus and to fully concentrate to contain the epidemic the president decided to cancel his overseas trip. According to the reports, the leaders of the three countries Moon planned to visit have acknowledged the wise decision of the president.

READ: South Korean President Declares 'war' Against Deadly Coronavirus

5,328 infections, 33 deaths

The President of South Korea plans to hold talks with the leaders over the phone and discuss bilateral issues as well as international cooperation on the epidemic. According to the reports, Moon chaired a meeting on March 3 which was attended by his cabinet members. He reportedly said that the crisis in Daegu and North Gyeongsang province is severe. As per reports, South Korea has confirmed 5,328 infections and 33 deaths from the coronavirus where most of the cases were from Daegu and North Gyeongsang province. 

READ: South Korea Reports 374 New Cases Of Coronavirus, Total Cases Climbs To 5,186

'War' against deadly coronavirus

As the confirmed cases of deadly coronavirus soared in South Korea on March 3, South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared war on the COVID-19 outbreak. According to international reports, Moon said that the “crisis in Daegu and North Gyeongsang province reached its peak”. He further added that the entire country has “entered a war against the infectious disease”. 

South Korea has reported nearly 1,000 new infections reported in the past 24 hours, President Moon has asked all government organisations to switch to a “24-hour emergency situation room system until the country comes out of the crisis situation”. 
The South Korean President further added that there is “no need to further strengthen the emergency-response posture for quarantine and economy”. Outside mainland China, which is the epicentre of the virus, South Korea has the largest number of COVID-19 infections with at least 32 deaths. 

READ: Coronavirus Outbreak: Schools In South Korea Suspended For Another 2 Weeks

READ: South Korea: Officials Seek Murder Charge Against Sect Founder Over Coronavirus