CRI听力:MERS Death Toll in South Korea Rises, but Schools Reopen

South Korean health officials this morning confirmed that five more people had contracted the MERS virus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 150.

The South Korean outbreak is the largest outside of Saudi Arabia, with over 5,000 people still in quarantine.

Jeong Eun-kyeong, Head of South Korea's Center for Disease Control and Prevention says 17 of those infected are now in a critical condition.

"There are 150 confirmed patients. 120 are currently being treated, 14 have been discharged, and 16 have died. Compared to Sunday, there are five new cases, four discharged patients, and two deaths. 103 patients (86%) are in a stable condition, 17 are unstable."

More than half of all these infections have been traced to one of the largest hospitals in the capital Seoul.

The Samsung Medical Center has come under fire after authorities discovered that more than 70 people had been infected due to lapses in emergency protocols at the hospital.

In one incident, an emergency ward orderly was allowed to work for days after developing symptoms and had possibly come into contact with more than 200 people.

The hospital was shut down on Sunday.

There are also concerns about the spread of the virus into the southern port city of Busan.

One of the latest victims to die from MERS related complications was a 62-year-old man from Busan, who returned home after being infected in Seoul.

Health authorities have dispatched a team of experts to Busan to monitor the mass quarantine efforts in the region.

Despite the increase in the number of infections, hundreds of schools across the country that had been closed for a week have reopened to students.

A parent says she is concerned about the safety about her child.

"I'm a little worried about classes resuming. But, I hope our children can enjoy school life again in a secure environment."
A team of experts from the World Health Organization who have been evaluating South Korea's response to the deadly outbreak say there is no need for alarm. They say that nearly a month into the outbreak it is showing signs of slowing down.

The MERS virus is considered a deadlier but less infectious cousin of the severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS, which killed hundreds of people when it appeared in Asia in 2003.

The outbreak has stalled South Korea's economy and resulted in over 100,000 canceled tourist visits to the country. President Park Geun-hye has also seen her approval ratings plummet.

For CRI I'm Poornima Weerasekara