South Korea declared the southeastern cities of Daegu and Cheongdo are "special care zones" Friday as a cluster of coronavirus cases have been reported there in recent days.

On Thursday, the country confirmed its first death of a COVID-19 patient in the southeastern city of Cheongdo, with the total number of confirmed cases in the country surpassing 100.

Concerns about community spread have mounted as new cases surged this week in Daegu, the country's fourth-largest city and home to 2.4 million people, and its surrounding North Gyeongsang Province.

"The government will take special measures by declaring the Daegu and Cheongdo areas, where a sudden rise in confirmed cases were reported, as special care zones," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at the start of a pan-government meeting over the virus.

Chung said the government will focus on preventing the virus from spreading locally.

"The government will mobilize all resources to overcome the virus," he added. (Yonhap)