South Korea confirmed 142 more cases of the COVID-19 on Wednesday, raising the total number of infections to 5,328.
As of midnight local time, the number of infected patients totaled 5,328, up 142 from the previous announcement. Two more deaths were reported, lifting the combined number to 33.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has updated the data twice a day at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time.
The virus infection soared for the past two weeks, with 5,155 new cases reported from Feb. 19 to March 3. The country has raised its four-tier virus alert to the highest "red" level.
The total number of infections in Daegu, about 300 km southeast of Seoul, and its surrounding North Gyeongsang province increased to 4,006 and 774 respectively. It accounted for almost 90 percent of the total.
Since Jan. 3, the country has tested more than 136,000 people, among whom 102,965 tested negative for the virus and 28,414 were being checked.
Seven more patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recovery, raising the combined number to 41.
