Thousands of people in South Korea were seen queuing for face masks in South Korea as fears grow over the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Concerned citizens of the country lined up outside a supermarket in the city of Daegu in a bid to protect themselves from the deadly virus.

The incident happened on February 24, 2020.

The incident comes after South Korea announced that they have the largest confirmed cases outside mainland China, with around 830 people have contracted the deadly disease.

8 people have died in South Korea after contracting the virus.

The horrible footage of the incident was captured by Maeil Shinmun.

According to reports, 140 of the cases that were reported in the country were in Daegu or near the city.

The city is home to over 2.5 million people.

It is said that 129 of the 161 most recent cases have been linked to the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, where an elderly woman tested positive for the novel coronavirus after visiting the church.

Another cluster of cases has been linked to a hospital in nearby Cheongdo, which has resulted in 2 deaths.

The government of South Korea had hoped to keep the outbreak confined, but some authorities said there are signs that the virus could be spreading across the country.

Kim Gang-lop, the vice health minister of South Korea, released a statement about the current situation of the novel coronavirus in South Korea.

The statement said, “In Daegu, the number of new cases that are being confirmed by tests is quite large, and if we fail to effectively stem community transmissions in this area, there would be a large possibility (that the illness) spreads nationwide.”

According to local news media reports, the government of South Korea is planning to test every resident of the city that is experiencing cold-like symptoms.