It's 'war' in S. Korea as cases top 5,000

Leader makes declaration after jump in numbers, while Japan steps up efforts

SEOUL－South Korea's president declared "war" on the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, placing all government agencies on a 24-hour emergency footing, as the number of cases in the country passed 5,000.

"The crisis in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province has reached its peak, and the whole country has entered a war against the infectious disease," President Moon Jae-in said in a meeting with masked Cabinet ministers and senior health officials.

Moon ordered all of the government's organizations to shift to a"24-hour emergency situation room system", citing the need to bolster readiness to handle quarantine and economy-related measures.