Concern over coronavirus spread as cases jump in South Korea, Italy and Iran

An employee wearing a face mask pulls luggage as he enters Foxconn Science and Technology Industrial Park, following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the country, in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, China February 22, 2020. cnsphoto via REUTERS.

SEOUL/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - International concern about the spread of coronavirus outside China grew on Sunday with sharp rises in infections in South Korea, Italy and Iran.

The government in Seoul put the country on high alert after the number of infections surged over 600 with six deaths. A focal point was a church in the southeastern city of Daegu, where a 61-year-old member of the congregation with no recent record of overseas travel tested positive for the virus.