Coronavirus: Streets of South Korean city abandoned as residents stay indoors

Amid the unprecedented coronavirus outbreak, the streets of South Korea's fourth-largest city, Daegu were reportedly abandoned on February 20 as residents were requested to stay indoors after dozens of people caught the deadly virus. According to international media reports, the shopping malls and cinemas of the city of approximately 2.5 million people were left deserted. The South Korean authorities described the situation in Daegu as a 'super-spreading event' as nearly 90 people who worshipped at the Church showed symptoms of infection and dozens of new cases were confirmed. 

Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin has also reportedly requested residents to stay indoors. While speaking to the media outlet, Kwon also said that the city was in an 'unprecedented crisis' and that is why the authorities have asked them to stay at home isolated from their families. A resident further said that the city looks like someone dropped a bomb in the middle of the city and it looks like a 'zombie apocalypse'.

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Death toll crosses 2,100

On the other hand, in China, the authorities have been pointing to evidence that the new cases were declining as proof that they are succeeding in keeping the virus largely contained to Hubei Province and capital Wuhan. The deadly virus has already claimed over 2,100 lives and it has also been affecting the businesses worldwide. As per reports, the outbreak now also appears to be stabilizing in central China, however, there is also some uncertainty of how cases are being diagnosed in Hubei. 

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First detected in the city of Wuhan, in Hubei Province of China, the virus outbreak has now spread across 20 countries since December 2019. More than 1,700 people have recovered from the disease, whereas, nearly 12,500 coronavirus patients have by now been discharged from hospitals. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has dubbed the virus as COVID-19.

The death toll for n-Coronavirus has surpassed the tolls from the SARS epidemic of 2002-03. The origin of the virus has been linked to the local seafood market of Wuhan, which is the capital of Hubei province in central China. Few of the countries currently affected by the virus include Singapore, Thailand, Japan, India, and the United States.

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