S. Korea raises virus alert to highest level amid soaring COVID-19 cases

Staff members disinfect a market in Daegu, South Korea, Feb. 23, 2020. As of 4:00 p.m. local time, the number of infected patients in South Korea totaled 602, up 169 from the previous day. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has updated the figure twice a day at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time. The death toll rose from two to five. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua)