The mayor of Daegu, South Korea’s fourth largest city, has urged its 2.5 million population to refrain from going outside amid a spike in coronavirus cases within the region.

Kwon Young-jin said the city was facing “an unprecedented crisis”, with 49 reported patients traced to an infected individual who had attended a local church.

But the World Health Organisation director general insisted the number of South Korean cases is “really manageable”, adding he hopes officials can contain the outbreak at an “early age”.

It comes as the Japanese government confirmed the death of two citizens, both in their 80s, who contracted the virus while aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. More than 620 people onboard the ship – which was carrying 3,700 passengers – have tested positive for the condition.

Meanwhile in the UK, a total of 5,549 British nationals had been tested as of 2pm on Thursday. Nine cases of the virus have been discovered so far.

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