South Korea declares ＂war＂ on coronavirus

South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared "war" against the coronavirus Tuesday, placing all government agencies on a 24-hour emergency footing. The country's total cases -- the largest in the world outside China – topped 5,000.
 

Authorities reported 374 new cases Tuesday for a nationwide total of 5,186, the Reuters news agency said.
 

South Korea has seen a rapid rise in infections in recent days and scores of events -- from K-pop concerts to sports seasons — have been cancelled or postponed as a result, with school and kindergarten breaks extended by three weeks nationwide.
 

The central bank has warned of negative growth in the first quarter for the world's 12th-largest economy, noting the epidemic will hit both consumption and exports.
 

Moon said the government will inject more than 30 trillion won (US$25 billion) into the economy to address the "grave" situation brought on by the outbreak.
 

"The entire country has entered a war with the infectious disease," Moon said, ordering all government agencies to operate around the clock. — CBS/AFP
 

In this very severe period, we must do our own protective work to minimize going out and parties. If we go out, we must take protective measures and bring a medical mask to protect ourselves.