Number of Coronavirus Cases in South Korea Rises to 18

South Korea has confirmed two more cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country to 18, the country’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced on Wednesday.

The most recent confirmed coronavirus case in South Korea involves the 21-year-old daughter of a South Korean woman who earlier tested positive for the virus and was confirmed as South Korea’s 16th case on Tuesday.

According to South Korea’s health ministry, over 1,300 people who have had contacts with those confirmed to be infected with coronavirus will be quarantined at home for two weeks.

Outside of China, coronavirus cases have been reported in North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East. Overall, over 24,000 novel coronavirus cases have been registered in China. Nearly 500 people have died from the disease, almost all of them in China.

The new coronavirus outbreak started in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, in December of last year. It is suspected that the 2019 novel coronavirus originated at a "wet market" in Wuhan. The city is now on lockdown.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the current coronavirus outbreak does not yet constitute a pandemic.