Roundup: S.Korea reports 4 more MERS cases, 3 deaths under criticism

Four more cases of infection with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) were reported in South Korea Tuesday, while three deaths were added among the confirmed cases, the health ministry said.

Among the four new cases were three people who were confirmed positive after living a normal daily life without any hindrance, such as quarantine or monitoring, causing a harsh criticism over insufficient government response.

The three cases included patients 151, 152 and 154 who contracted the virus at the emergency room of Samsung Medical Center in Seoul from patient 14.

They were all excluded from the list of people quarantined or ordered to stay at home, Kwon Jun-wook, director-general of the health ministry's public health policy, told a regular press briefing.

The health authorities have said that those who had close contact with confirmed MERS patients within 2 meters or those who stayed at the same space with the patients had been under quarantine.

Though the three new patients stayed at the emergency room with the 14th patient, called super spreader as he has infected more than 70 people, the government failed to manage those people.

With the four new cases, the total infection rose to 154 since the first patient, or called index case, was found on May 20, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The 154th patient, 52, was estimated to have caught the virus during the visit to his mother having checked into the Samsung hospital. His sister was quarantined, but he was excluded from the isolation list.

The man, serving as a public servant in the southeastern city of Daegu, went to his office as usual, participated in a dinner meeting and went to a public bathhouse before being quarantined on Monday.

The 152nd patient, 66, was exposed to the virus at the Samsung hospital on May 27 when his wife was treated at the emergency room. His wife was ordered to stay at home, but he was excluded from the isolation list. His wife was tested negative.

Kwon said that intensive attentions were paid mainly to patients staying at the emergency room, and that others staying at the emergency ward such as caregivers were not included in the list of top priority for quarantine.

One unidentified person, living in the Gangnam district of Seoul where the Samsung hospital is located, defied a quarantine order. The district's health center reported the person to police to fine the person as much as 3 million won (2,700 U.S. dollars). The police traced the person's cell phone and took the person to his home.

The number of people quarantined as potential carriers increased from 5,216 on Monday to 5,586 Tuesday. Those ordered to stay at home were 5,238, with those isolated at the government- designated hospitals being 348.

People discharged from the self-quarantine and forcible isolation rose from 3,122 on Monday to 3,505 Tuesday.

Three confirmed patients passed away, raising the death toll to 19 and the fatality rate to over 12 percent. Among the three deaths, two patients had no other illnesses except the MERS infection.

Among the 154 confirmed cases, 16 patients have been in unstable conditions, leaving possibility for a fatality rise. Excluding the dead and those discharged from hospitals, 118 patients are under treatment.

Three MERS patients were discharged from hospitals as they completely recovered after being infected. The total number of hospital discharge increased to 17. Endi