The number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in South Korea has soared to more than 4,800 overnight, with hospitals in some of the worst-affected cities reporting shortages of beds and emergency staff collapsing from exhaustion.

Patients waiting for a hospital bed to become available in the city of Daegu are dying in their homes, local medical authorities told the Chosun Ilbo newspaper. More than 1,600 people with the virus have been quarantined in their homes, but at least four have died while waiting for in-patient care.

An 86-year-old woman who tested positive on February 28 and was also undergoing treatment for diabetes and hypertension could not be hospitalised and died two days later, the paper reported.

The situation is particularly serious in Daegu, which has seen a spike in cases linked to worshippers from the Shincheonji religious group who had previously visited the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

The crisis is worsening as healthcare workers tire after battling the virus for a month.