South Korea vows ‘all-out’ effort to curb growing Mers outbreak

The numner of infections has risen to 64 - the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia where it has infected more than 950 since 2012.

Workers wearing masks clean up public facilities as a precaution against the Mers on a subway train in Busan, South Korea, on June 7, 2015 as a fifth person in the country died of the virus. Jo Jung-Show more

SEOUL // South Korea reported its fifth death from Mers as the government on Sunday vowed all-out measures to curb the outbreak that was threatening to spread nationwide, including tracking mobile phones of those in quarantine.

The number of infections rose to 64 after 14 new cases, including one death, of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome were confirmed late Saturday night, the health ministry said.

It is the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia where it has infected more than 950 since 2012.

As of Sunday, more than 2,300 people had been placed under quarantine. About 2,100 were told to stay home and strictly limit their interactions with others, while about 200 were isolated in state hospitals.

All the 14 new infections were among people already in quarantine after being exposed to those diagnosed earlier.

However, Busan city authorities reported an additional case in the country’s southern port and second-largest city, sparking alarm that the outbreak may spread nationwide.

The case was not included among the 14 new infections confirmed by the health ministry.

Acting prime minister Choi Kyung-hwan vowed that “all-out efforts” would be made to curb the spread of the disease.

He urged the public not to panic, saying all 64 patients had already been in hospital quarantine.

“We can put the situation under control because ... the outbreak is not spreading to the outside community,” Mr Choi said.

“People should not overreact and should cooperate closely [with the government] to minimise negative impact on the economy,” he said.

The government will step up monitoring on those placed under observation, including tracking the locations of those in quarantine at home via their mobile phones, Mr Choi said.

The first case – reported on May 20 – was of a 68-year-old man who had travelled to Saudi Arabia.

The government of president Park Geun-hye and health officials have come under a storm of criticism over a perceived slow and insufficient response to the outbreak.

A policy not to name the hospitals where patients were diagnosed or treated was a major focus of public criticism.

Mr Choi on Sunday disclosed the list of 24 such hospitals saying it was aimed at “easing public anxiety”.Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul, where 17 cases were confirmed, said over 890 patients and medical staff had been exposed to those infected.

“We notified the 893 people immediately and carried out necessary quarantine measures,” the hospital president Song Jae-hoon said.

Seoul city mayor Park Won-soon however warned of potential danger of the outbreak at the hospital – one of the country’s largest, visited by more than 8,000 patients a day.

“We are afraid that there is a significant possibility that the outbreak at the Samsung hospital could spread to the local community,” Mr Park said.

The Seoul education council also ordered the closure on all 126 kindergartens and primary schools in Gangnam and Seocho districts in southern Seoul on Sunday, where the Samsung hospital is located.

With the number of new cases growing on a daily basis and public fear rising, more than 1,300 schools have been closed temporarily. Public events and sports games were cancelled across the country.

More than 20,000 foreign travellers have cancelled planned tours to the South from Monday to Thursday, Seoul’s tourism board said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday it would send a team of experts to South Korea for a joint mission with Seoul in collecting information on the outbreak.

* Agence France-Presse