South Korea has designated the southeastern areas of Daegu and Cheongdo as "special care zones" after a cluster of coronavirus cases were reported there in recent days.

In a pan-government meeting on the virus outbreak on Friday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said that the government will take special measures in the areas because of the designation. 

Chung said the government will now focus on preventing the virus from spreading locally, while promising the government's full support and provision of necessary resources including personnel and equipment. 

The prime minister added the government will mobilize all resources to overcome the virus.

Chung said the government will inject public personnel such as military medical staff and establish temporary shelters for those who are facing difficulty with self-isolation.

He said that the government has thus far focused on stopping the inflow of the virus domestically, but will now place emphasis on preventing the spread of the virus in the community.