South Korea reports first COVID-19 death as infected cases reach 104

SEOUL: South Korea reported its first death Thursday (Feb 20) from COVID-19 as the number of infections nearly doubled to over 100 - almost half of them from a cluster centred on a religious sect.

The sharp rise came as the mayor of Daegu - South Korea's fourth biggest city, with a population of over 2.5 million - advised residents to stay indoors, and commanders at a major US base in the area restricted access.

The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced a total of 51 new confirmed cases, taking the nationwide total to 104.