South Korea has admitted that the deadly coronavirus has claimed the lives of eight people apart from the increasing number of confirmed cases.
While shocking reports from the East Asian country are making headlines, drone footage showing thousands of South Koreans standing in a massive queue has been circulating online since Monday, February 24. But why are these people waiting in such a long queue from as early as 8 am? The reason has already shocked millions of netizens.
The 34-second footage, captured by The Maeil Shinmunis, shows people waiting to buy face masks to protect themselves from the novel virus attack. It is said to have been shot outside a supermarket in Daegu, which is South Korea's fourth-largest city, that is believed to be the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
According to local media reports, the supermarket chain E-mart in the Chilseong district of the city has started selling 1.41 million face masks at half price in Daegu.
The Shincheonji religious group is at the centre of the epidemic as 300 members of the group have tested positive for the virus. Also, about 30 Catholic pilgrims from North Gyeongsang province in the country have tested positive for the novel COVID-19 after their return from Israel.
As of Monday, February 24, apart from eight deaths, a total of 833 cases of coronavirus infection, including those in the country's military, have been reported from South Korea alone. The global total now stands at more than 79,000 cases with the death toll at 2,620.
