South Korea’s COVID-19 cases top 10,000

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Over 10,000 people in South Korea have so far tested positive for coronavirus, the country's health officials announced Friday.

Officials at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 86 new cases were diagnosed Thursday, bringing the national tally to 10,062.

The death toll rose to 175 after five more people died of COVID-19, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The news agency said that the Southeast Asian country may extend its social distancing measures amid surge in infections.

Seoul launched the two-week campaign on March 22, urging people to keep a safe distance from each other by putting off all meetings, avoiding crowds and working from home.

- Cash relief

The Japanese government will provide nearly $2,800 in cash to households impacted by the pandemic, Kyodo News reported.

"I told the prime minister that 300,000 yen [$2,763] should be given to each household whose income has decreased to a certain level," the ruling Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Fumio Kishida told reporters following a meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has agreed to the plan.

Nearly 10 million of Japan's 58 million households are eligible to receive the cash relief, the report added.

Japan has reported over 2,600 virus cases and 63 deaths, as of Friday evening. As many as 514 patients have recovered from the disease.

- Global tally

More than a million virus cases have registered globally, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

As per the university's figures, over 55,000 people have died and 219,000 recovered in 181 countries or territories.

While the U.S. accounts for the most cases, Spain has the highest death toll.

The disease first emerged in Wuhan, China, three months ago.