TEHRAN - The Foreign Ministry, in a travel advisory issued on Saturday, urged Iranians not to visit South Korea over fears of exposure to the coronavirus.

“The compatriots who have returned from South Korea in the past two weeks should take precautionary measures according to the Health Ministry’s instructions,” the ministry’s advisory read. 

It added, “Those compatriots who are resident of South Korea should observe the entire healthcare advices if they cannot leave South Korea. They should avoid traffic to the polluted areas (areas that have seen a surge of infections by the coronavirus strain).”  

The ministry further called on the Iranian compatriots to observe all healthcare instructions issued by the South Korean Health Ministry and try to leave the country if the outbreak goes worse. 

South Korea has reported more than 800 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total infections to 3,150, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) was quoted by the Guardian as saying on Saturday.

The country first said there were 594 new cases but later reported that an additional 219 new cases had been confirmed.

Together they logged a record daily increase in infections since South Korea confirmed its first patient on January 20. Another person is confirmed to have died from the virus, bringing the death toll to 17.

South Korea has urged its citizens to stay indoors and warned it is facing a “critical moment” in its battle against the coronavirus.

The South Korean Vice-Health Minister, Kim Kang-lip, said, “We have asked you to refrain from taking part in public events, including a religious gathering or protest, this weekend. Please stay at home and refrain from going outside and minimize contact with other people.”

As many as 476 of the new cases were from south-eastern Daegu city, the site of a church at the center of the outbreak. Health authorities have run tests on more than 210,000 members and 65,000 trainees of the church.

MJ/PA