Thousands wait for hospital beds in South Korea as coronavirus cases surge

Medical staff in protective gear work at a 'drive-thru' testing center for the novel coronavirus disease of COVID-19 in Yeungnam University Medical Center in Daegu, South Korea, March 3, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea reported hundreds of new coronavirus cases on Wednesday as many sick people waited for hospital beds in Daegu, the city at the centre of the worst outbreak outside China.

The new cases bring South Korea's total to 5,621, with at least 32 deaths, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.