(Yonhap)Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Friday that the southern port city of Busan should put forth all-out efforts to contain a recent COVID-19 cluster infection at a nursing home in the city.

As of Thursday, a total of 53 cases has been reported from a nursing hospital in northern Busan, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

"The situation (in Busan) is very concerning," Chung said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters held at Busan City Hall.

"I ask the city of Busan to take all possible measures to treat coronavirus patients and try its best to implement antivirus measures in high-risk facilities to prevent further transmissions of the virus," he added.

The prime minister also urged the city to take precautionary steps to protect those especially vulnerable to the virus, such as the elderly, children and those with underlying symptoms, from exposure to the latest transmissions.

"COVID-19 can easily spread in crowded places," he emphasized. "The war against COVID-19 is not over yet." (Yonhap)