Concerns over virus rise in South Korean city

Fear of the new virus in South Korea has halted everyday life for citizens in the southeastern city of Daegu..

Footage taken on Sunday showed near-empty streets in the country's fourth largest city where hundreds of virus patients have been reported.

Yoon Hyun Jung, a 26-year-old resident in Daegu, on Tuesday said people in her area mostly stay at home and avoid going outside unless it's highly necessary.

"There really aren't many people in the street," she said.

Yoon said even usually crowded areas like Banwoldang district were now empty and so she avoids going out altogether.

Yoon was also fearful of coming into contact with someone related to the Shincheonji Church, the controversial South Korean church in Daegu where hundreds of infected patients were reported.

Recently, a major supermarket in Daegu released a large supply of masks for sale, meaning lengthy queues stretched outside the supermarket for hours.

Yoon said she was also part of the long line but was unsuccessful "even after waiting for two to three hours".

South Korea now has the second-most cases in the world with 977 and has had a near 15-fold increase in reported infections in a week, as health workers continue to find batches in Daegu and nearby areas.

There have been 10 fatalities in South Korea related to the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus.

Of the 144 new cases reported by South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, most came from Daegu and the surrounding areas of North Gyeongsang province.