With cases of Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome increasing by the day, the nation’s health minister has vowed to use all resources possible to stem the spread of the deadly respiratory virus.
 
Speaking at an emergency MERS task force meeting on Friday morning, Minister Moon Hyung-pyo urged officials to do their best in thoroughly responding to all matters in order to help the public trust the government's response system and carry on their daily lives. 
 
Moon noted the aggravation of more confirmed cases and a suspected patient having left for China. 
 
He promised to mobilize all of his ministry’s resources for containment efforts by raising the status of the MERS task force from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to now being operated under the vice health minister.
 
Moon also urged efforts to prevent further infections and to thoroughly double check all people who have come in contact with the confirmed patients.
 
He also asked medical staff to ask patients with respiratory illnesses whether they had traveled to the Middle East and immediately report any suspected patients to authorities.
 
The minister urged the general public to stay away from camels and report any fever or respiratory symptoms following their overseas travels.