South Korean schools closed, and major events — including concerts and the opening of the top Korean football league — were indefinitely postponed Monday, as the country attempted to limit the spread of the coronavirus, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/south-koreans-face-watershed-moment-coronavirus-spreads">reports</a>. 



Warning of a “grave watershed moment,” South Korean President Moon Jae-in has placed South Korea on the highest alert level. The move gives authorities greater latitude to forcibly restrict public gatherings and enforce quarantines on those with the virus. &nbsp;



South Korea reported 231 new infections Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 833. Authorities also reported the seventh death from the highly transmissible virus, which causes a disease called Covid-19.



The U.S. military, which has over 28,000 troops in South Korea, also raised its risk level&nbsp; to &#8220;high&#8221; on Monday after reporting&nbsp; its first coronavirus case:&nbsp; a 61-year-old woman who visited a store at Camp Walker in the southeastern part of the country on February 12 and 15. &nbsp;



The country saw a spike in coronavirus infections starting last week. The outbreak has raised concerns the virus is spreading outside China, where it originated, and may turn into a global pandemic.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced/s3/2020-02/afp_south_korea_coronavirus_23Feb20.jpg?itok=Gf7aHG_K"><img src="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced_737px_wide/s3/2020-02/afp_south_korea_coronavirus_23Feb20.jpg?itok=v7Vlt1xM" alt="Market workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant at a market in the southeastern city of Daegu, South Korea, Feb. 23, 2020." /></a><figcaption>Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant at a market in the southeastern city of Daegu, South Korea, as a preventive measure after the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, Feb. 23, 2020.</figcaption></figure>



Most of the infections are in the southeastern part of the country, including Daegu, South Korea&#8217;s fourth-largest city, where authorities have warned residents to stay inside and many businesses have closed. &nbsp;



Local media showed long lines snaking around a Daegu department store, as residents tried to buy face masks and other emergency supplies, which in some cases have shot up in price.



In Seoul, which reported a smaller surge in cases last week, many convenience and department stores ran out of face masks and other supplies.



Yoon So-young, a 20-year-old student in Seoul, says he plans to buy extra water and food and has already purchased face masks and hand sanitizers.&nbsp;



“I am worried,” he said. “I think the government should have taken firmer steps (to contain the virus).”



Major campaign



Authorities have undertaken a massive public health campaign over the past week.



Residents receive emergency text message alerts when they go near locations that have been visited by a coronavirus-infected patient. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sends out several alerts per day&nbsp;— in English and Korean&nbsp;— detailing the latest infection cases. &nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced/s3/ap-images/2020/02/7970fe8b70e79b9f4bd66356dc329c4e.jpg?itok=c1wKDGvA"><img src="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced_410px_wide/s3/ap-images/2020/02/7970fe8b70e79b9f4bd66356dc329c4e.jpg?itok=XXQFhDHI" alt="A huge screen about precautions against the COVID-19 is seen in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020. South Korea…" /></a><figcaption>A huge screen about precautions against the COVID-19 is seen in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 23, 2020.</figcaption></figure>



Many major office buildings use thermal cameras to monitor the temperature of people who entered. Signs on sidewalks, buses, and train stations encourage residents to take proper hygiene steps. Many businesses are providing hand sanitizer. &nbsp;



Almost 32,000 people have been tested for the virus, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. &nbsp;



Around half of the confirmed infections are linked to the services of a fringe religious group in Daegu. Hundreds of police have been tasked with searching for the remaining members of the group who have not been tested, according to local media.



Economic impact



There are concerns the outbreak could hurt South Korea’s economy, which had already seen lagging growth. &nbsp;



President Moon on Monday said the country is in an “emergency economic situation” and called for a “bold injection” of government funds to virus-hit areas, according to the Yonhap news agency. &nbsp;



South Korea’s benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed nearly 4 percent down Monday.



Some major South Korean companies have been forced to temporarily halt or reduce production due to a shortage of parts from China, where many factories have closed. &nbsp;



Local businesses are also hurting from an apparent reduction in tourism. &nbsp;



At a street-side stand in Seoul&#8217;s tourist area of Myeongdong, a vendor selling a sweet, red bean-filled pastry said his sales have plummeted by about two-thirds.&nbsp; “My sales have shrunk. They’ve really shrunk a lot,” said the man, who did not want to provide his name. “I think it will take at least six months to recover.” &nbsp;



Criticism



The outbreak also threatens to become a sensitive political issue, just weeks ahead of an important legislative election.



Many conservative and other critics have urged the government to tighten restrictions on the entry of people from China. An editorial in the conservative Chosun Ilbo compared the government’s virus containment efforts to trying to “catch flies with the windows wide open.” &nbsp;



But South Korean authorities have rejected those demands, noting the virus has now begun spreading locally among people with no links to China. &nbsp;



The coronavirus has infected nearly 80,000 people worldwide and killed over 2,600. Almost all of the infections and deaths have been in China.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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South Koreans Face ‘Watershed’ Moment as Coronavirus Spreads

A Russian woman aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan has become the first Russian citizen to be diagnosed with COVID-19, Russia said Monday, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/first-russian-citizen-diagnosed-covid-19">reports</a>. 



The woman on the ship will be transferred to a hospital and receive treatment, the Russian Embassy in Japan said in its Facebook posting. It wasn’t immediately clear whether that would be in Russia or Japan.



The virus, which emerged in central China in December, has infected 454 people on that particular cruise ship. Globally, the virus has infected more than 71,000 people, killing 1,770 patients in mainland China and five others elsewhere. China has instituted strict lockdown measures on over 60 million people in central Hubei province.



In January, Russia reported two confirmed cases of COVID-19 and hospitalized two Chinese citizens, who have since recovered.



Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, the Russian government has halted most of its air traffic to China. All trains connecting Russia to China and North Korea have been suspended and the Russian land border with China and Mongolia is closed.



Moscow has temporarily stopped issuing work visas to Chinese citizens and Chinese students who had left for the Lunar New Year vacation have been asked not to resume their studies in Russian universities until March 1.



Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has said that Russia may start deporting foreigners infected with the virus.

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First Russian Citizen is Diagnosed With COVID-19

The death of a doctor who was reprimanded for warning about China&#8217;s new virus triggered an outpouring Friday of praise for him and fury that communist authorities put politics above public safety, VOA news reports.     In death, Dr. Li Wenliang became the face of simmering anger at the ruling Communist Party&#8217;s controls over information and complaints that officials lie about or hide disease outbreaks, chemical spills, dangerous consumer products or financial frauds.     The 34-year-old ophthalmologist died overnight at Wuhan Central Hospital, where he worked and likely contracted the virus while treating patients in the early days of the outbreak.     “A hero who released information about Wuhan&#8217;s epidemic in the early stage, Dr. Li Wenliang is immortal,” the China Center for Disease Control&#8217;s chief scientist, Zeng Guang, wrote on the Sina Weibo microblog service.     Police in December had reprimanded eight doctors including Li for warning friends on social media about the emerging threat. China&#8217;s supreme court later criticized the police, but the ruling party also has tightened its grip on information about the outbreak.     Weibo users have left hundreds of thousands of messages below Li&#8217;s last post.     A post by one of Li&#8217;s coworkers, an emergency room nurse, said the freezing Wuhan weather was &#8220;as gloomy as my mood.&#8221;     “To you, we are angels and so strong. But how strong a heart can watch the people around me fall one by one without being shocked?” wrote Li Mengping on her verified account.     Others placed blame for the deaths on Chinese officials, not an animal species from where the virus might have spread, and said those who made trouble for the doctor should face consequences. The most pointed online comments were quickly deleted by censors.     The ruling party has faced similar accusations of bungling or thuggish behavior following previous disasters. They include the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, a 2005 chemical spill that disrupted water supplies to millions of people in China&#8217;s northeast, sales of tainted milk that sickened thousands of children and the failure of private finance companies after the global economic crisis.     In each case, officials were accused of trying to conceal or delay release of information members of the public said they needed to protect themselves.     The party often responds by allowing the public to vent temporarily, then uses its control of media and the internet to stifle criticism. Critics who persist can be jailed on vague charges of spreading rumors or making trouble.     On the streets of Beijing, the capital, residents expressed sadness and said that China should learn from Li.     “He is such a nice person, but still didn&#8217;t pull through,” said Ning Yanqing. “Those left do not dare to speak out. Alas, I don&#8217;t know what to say.”     Some online comments Friday hinted at broader dissatisfaction with the party and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has tightened controls on society since taking power in 2012.     The most powerful Chinese leader since at least the 1980s, Xi gave himself the option of remaining president for life by changing the Chinese constitution in 2018 to remove a two-term limit.     Referring to one of Xi&#8217;s propaganda initiatives, a message that circulated on social media said, “My `Chinese Dream&#8217; is broken.”



In Wuhan, local leaders were accused of telling doctors in December not to publicize the spreading virus in order to avoid casting a shadow over the annual meeting of a local legislative body. &nbsp; &nbsp; As the virus spread, doctors were ordered to delete posts on social media that appealed for donations of medical supplies. That prompted complaints authorities were more worried about image than public safety. &nbsp; &nbsp; Li was detained by police after warning about the virus on a social media group for his former classmates. &nbsp; &nbsp; The latest episode is unusually awkward for the ruling party because Li was a physician, part of a group who are regarded as overworked, underpaid heroes who are China&#8217;s line of defense against a frightening new disease. &nbsp; &nbsp; “He showed a responsible attitude toward the society,” said Cai Lin, a Beijing resident. “He is honest and faithful. So I think the whole society should reflect on this.” &nbsp; &nbsp; The World Health Organization, which has complimented China&#8217;s response to the outbreak, said in a tweet that “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Li Wenliang. We all need to celebrate work that he did on” the virus. &nbsp; &nbsp; The official propaganda apparatus tried Friday to mollify the public. &nbsp; &nbsp; “Some of Li Wenliang&#8217;s experiences during his life reflect shortcomings and deficiencies in epidemic prevention and control”&#8217; said state television on its website. &nbsp; &nbsp; The Chinese ambassador to Washington, Cui Tiankai, said in Twitter, a service the ruling party&#8217;s internet censorship blocks the public from seeing, “Really saddened by the death of Dr. Li Wenliang. He was a very devoted doctor. We are so grateful to him for what he has done in our joint efforts fighting against (hash)2019nCoV.” &nbsp; &nbsp; The government announced a team from Beijing would be sent to Wuhan to investigate “issues reported by the masses involving Dr. Li Wenliang.”

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Doctor’s Death Unleashes Mourning, Fury at Chinese Officials

The number of new cases and related deaths from the new coronavirus rose Wednesday in mainland China, Chinese health officials said, while the discovery of new cases outside the mainland indicated the increasing spread of the outbreak, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/mainland-china-reports-new-coronanvirus-deaths-cases">reports</a>. 



However, despite its increasing detection in numerous countries, the World Health Organization said the outbreak of the new coronavirus has not yet reached the level of a pandemic. Dr. Sylvie Briand, WHO&#8217;s director of epidemic and pandemic diseases, told reporters in Geneva Tuesday the outbreak is at the phase &#8220;where it is an epidemic with multiple foci.&#8221;



As of Wednesday, at least 490 people, the majority in mainland China, have died from the coronavirus since it was first detected in December in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, with the total number of confirmed infections exceeding 24,000. There are about 150 confirmed cases in 23 other countries, including one death in the Philippines &#8212; the first outside of China.



The epidemic has also been detected on the high seas. Japanese officials said 10 people tested positive for the coronavirus on a cruise ship quarantined at the Japanese port of Yokohama.&nbsp; They said the more than 3,700 remaining passengers and crew will remain quarantined on board Carnival Japan&#8217;s Diamond Princess for further testing.



The U.S. Department of Defense said about 350 Americans left Wuhan on Wednesday aboard two charter planes that are scheduled to land later in the day at two military bases in the U.S. western state of California.



The U.S. State Department said it may schedule more flights to China on Thursday but did not provide additional information.



Two U.S. based airlines on Wednesday announced plans to temporarily suspend flights to Hong Kong.&nbsp; American Airlines and United Airlines said they were halting flights there through February 20.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced/s3/2020-02/AP_20036358442914.jpg?itok=pfHArsKG"><img src="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced_737px_wide/s3/2020-02/AP_20036358442914.jpg?itok=cfSMLCac" alt="Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a press conference held in Hong Kong, Feb. 5, 2020." /></a><figcaption>Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a press conference held in Hong Kong, Feb. 5, 2020.</figcaption></figure>



Hong Kong&nbsp; Meanwhile, medical workers in Hong Kong staged a second consecutive day of strikes Tuesday as the Chinese territory reported its first death from the coronavirus. &nbsp;



Hong Kong shut down nearly all land and sea border crossings with the mainland at midnight local time after more than 2,000 medical workers walked off the job Monday demanding that all border crossings be closed completely. Hong Kong was hit hard by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002-03.



Hong Kong health authorities identified the victim as a 39-year-old male with a pre-existing illness who had recently visited Wuhan.&nbsp; &nbsp;



Also Tuesday, the Chinese gambling territory of Macau said it will temporarily shut down all casino operations for two weeks to help curb the spread of the virus. &nbsp;



Link to bats&nbsp; A new study published Monday in the journal&nbsp;Nature&nbsp;said experts from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which specializes in the study of viruses, say the new virus is 96% genetically identical to one found in bats in southern China&#8217;s Yunnan province.



The study said the new coronavirus is 80% genetically similar to the SARS virus that killed more than 800 people in 2002 and 2003.



Chinese officials do not know exactly how the virus could have been transmitted from animals to people, but believe open-air markets in China, where wild and domesticated animals are sold, may be a contributor.



WHO said it expects the number of cases to grow as test results are returned on thousands of pending cases.



Chinese authorities have tried to stop the spread by instituting bans on movement in certain regions, and extending holidays to keep people away from schools and other large gatherings.



Travel bans irk Beijing&nbsp; Beijing, however, is upset that a number of countries are restricting travelers from China from crossing their borders.



Government spokeswoman Hua Chunying accused the United States of spreading fear and not offering any substantial assistance in response to the outbreak.



She said Washington has “unceasingly manufactured and spread panic,&#8221; noting that the WHO has advised against travel restrictions.



U.S. President Donald Trump has offered to send experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to China, but Beijing has yet to accept the offer of help.



The United States began mandatory 14-day quarantines Sunday for U.S. citizens who had been in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital. But non-U.S. citizens who have been in China over the past two weeks are barred. &nbsp;



Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said Monday the United States is already prepared to provide housing for up to 1,000 people who may need to be quarantined. He also said the United States is “always planning for eventualities and how we may be asked by civilian partners to assist.”