South Korea reports 309 new coronavirus cases, total now at 6,593

South Korea on Friday afternoon reported 309 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total in the country to 6,593, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

So far, 42 people have died in South Korea from the respiratory virus, the KCDC said. The victims were mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses.

According to Yonhap news agency, around 60 percent of confirmed cases were linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, epicenter of the virus in South Korea.