397 more cases in China, 142 in S.Korea
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397 more cases in China, 142 in S.Korea

A couple wearing protective facemasks ride on a bike along a street in Shanghai on Friday. (AFP photo)
A couple wearing protective facemasks ride on a bike along a street in Shanghai on Friday. (AFP photo)

BEIJING/SEOUL: China had 397 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Friday, the country's National Health Commission said on Saturday, down from 889 cases a day earlier.

That brings the total accumulated number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 76,288.

The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China had reached 2,345 as of the end of Friday.

The central province of Hubei, the epicentre of the outbreak, reported 106 new deaths, of which 90 were in the provincial capital of Wuhan.

South Korea reported 142 more coronavirus cases Saturday morning, bringing the nationwide total to 346.

An additional death was also reported, bringing the total to two, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

Among the latest cases, 92 were connected to a hospital in Cheongdo, a southern city connected to a religious sect.

More than 150 members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus have now been infected, starting with a 61-year-old woman who developed a fever on February 10 but attended at least four church services in Daegu before being diagnosed.

Cheongdo, some 27 kilometres south of Daegu, is the birthplace of Shincheonji's founder Lee Man-hee.

County officials said Friday that a three-day funeral was held for his brother three weeks ago at a hall owned by the hospital, where 92 new cases were confirmed on Saturday morning.

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