Ghanaians in South Korea are concerned about their safety as coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the country continue to rise steadily.

The East Asian country reported 571 coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the national total to 2,337 cases -- the largest outbreak outside of mainland China. It has reported 13 deaths.

Among the 571 new cases, 447 are from Daegu, where the outbreak has been concentrated. 

Ghanaians in Daegu say the rise in cases has placed them on high alert. According to them, despite the South Korean government’s efforts to keep them informed and safe, they remain uncertain about their safety.

Speaking from Daegu on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, a foreign trade liaison officer, Richard Zinleri, said despite the surge in cases, he is yet to hear of any Ghanaian being infected.

However, he claims the South Korean government is not being forthcoming about the mode of transmission of the disease.

“We don’t know how it’s being spread. At first, they said when you get into contact with someone with the disease you get infected. But how the cases keep on increasing, it looks as if the disease is airborne,” he said.

China and 13 other countries have restricted travel from South Korea over the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, in nearby China, Ghana’s government has dispatched cartons of assorted local food items to China to be distributed to 151 Ghanaian students stranded in Wuhan, the epicentre of the new coronavirus disease in that country.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, who announced this, said the items had been shipped to Ghana’s Mission in Beijing for onward delivery to the students in the locked-down Wuhan city.

And in Italy, Ghanaian students have been quarantined following the rise of new cases of the ‘2019 Novel Corona Virus Infection’ recorded in the country.