SEOUL, June 14 (UPI) -- The number of people who have died from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in South Korea has risen to more than a dozen, officials said Monday, and thousands remain quarantined.
South Korea's Ministry of Health said five new cases and one more death were reported, bringing the total death toll to 16.
An outbreak of the virus began in South Korea last month and officials say 150 people have since been infected. As of Monday, 120 have undergone treatment, the ministry noted.
Officials said they expect more cases to be reported, but also emphasized that the virus' progression in the population is slowing, CNN reported Sunday.
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The Samsung Medical Center in Seoul announced Sunday that it will ban all visitors and suspend all surgical procedures -- except for emergencies -- "to fully focus on responding to MERS."
The MERS outbreak in South Korea began a month ago when a 68-year-old man returned from four Middle East nations carrying the virus. He went from hospital to hospital, including Samsung, before he was ultimately diagnosed with MERS. Officials consider him "patient zero" in the South Korean outbreak.
More than 50 of the nation's cases have been traced back to the Samsung Medical Center, the hospital said.
"We apologize for causing great concern as Samsung Medical Center became the center of the spread of MERS," hospital president Song Jae-hoon said on Sunday.
While 150 have been confirmed with the virus, an additional 2,800 others are under quarantine. Officials have also taken major steps to restrict the possible spread of the virus -- such as closing almost 3,000 South Korean schools -- many of which were scheduled to reopen Monday.
A South Korean man suspected of possibly having the virus in Slovakia is also being monitored, officials said. He is reportedly a subcontractor for South Korean automaker Kia, BBC News reported.
The strain that causes MERS was first discovered in Saudi Arabia three years ago, where government officials this weekend also announced five new cases of MERS.
The World Health Organization has said the outbreak is "large and complex," but it did not expect the virus to spread to the wider community.
