South Korea has just announced 169 more positive cases of nCoV, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 1,146.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) today reported that the number of nCoV infections in the country has increased to 1,146, the second highest in the world, just behind mainland China. Of the 169 new infections, there are 153 cases in Daegu City, 300 km southeast of Seoul, and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province.

About 80% of the confirmed cases come from the two epidemic clusters, which are branches of the Tan Thien Dia cult in Daegu City and Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo District, North Gyeongsang Province.

South Korea also recorded the 11th death related to nCoV as a 35-year-old Mongolian man. The patient came to Korea to undergo liver transplant surgery but died of esophageal hemorrhage and was later confirmed to be infected with nCoV.

Nearly all major Korean cities and provinces also report new cases. The capital Seoul recorded 4 new infections, while Busan, Korea's second largest city, reported 8 new cases.

Experts say the number of nCoV infections will increase in the coming days because the health agency plans to test more than 210,000 Tan Thien Dia denominations in Daegu.

During a visit to Daegu on February 24, President Moon Jae-in said that "the situation is very serious" and pledged that the government will fully support and attempt to curb the virus spread this week. The South Korean government decided to implement strengthening containment measures in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, but did not block the region.

The Covid-19 epidemic appeared in 39 countries and territories after the outbreak in Wuhan, China in December 2019, causing more than 80,000 people to be infected and more than 2,700 to die. The Chinese Health Ministry has not released new figures today.