TOKYO -- The number of South Koreans infected by the novel coronavirus was announced to have hit 1,595 by Thursday morning, marking a rapid increase after passing the 1,000 mark on Wednesday, and with hundreds of the cases linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus religious group.
Infections in the country have multiplied more than 40 times in the past 10 days, despite the government's heightened alert status. The death toll is 12.
