SEOUL, Feb. 21 (CNA) - South Korea reported 52 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, taking the national tally to 156, the Yonhap news agency said on Friday (Feb 21), citing health authorities.

Altogether 39 of the new cases were linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the southern city of Daegu, the Korean Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said.

More than 80 members of Shincheonji have now been infected, starting with a 61-year-old woman who developed a fever on Feb 10 but attended at least four church services before being diagnosed.

The mayor of Daegu - South Korea's fourth-biggest city, with a population of over 2.5 million - has advised residents to stay indoors, and commanders at a major US base in the area restricted access.

Residents wore masks to go about their daily activities on Friday.

Shincheonji is often accused of being a cult and claims its founder, Lee Man-hee, has donned the mantle of Jesus Christ and will take 144,000 people with him to heaven on the day of judgement.

The KCDC said one more case had been confirmed at a hospital in Cheongdo county near Daegu where a total of 16 infections have now been identified, including a long-stay patient who died Wednesday after showing symptoms of pneumonia.

The country reported its first COVID-19 death on Thursday.