Workers in protective gear disinfect a subway car as a precaution against the new coronavirus in Seoul, South Korea. AP

A daunting new COVID-19 cluster has emerged in a call-center in South Korea’s capital Seoul, accounting for more than 90 confirmed cases as of March 11, announced Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon via a public radio interview.

The 90-plus patients surfaced after all 207 of the call-center employees, who work from the 11th floor of a building located in the district of Guro, and their families were tested, Park briefed the public.

While Daegu’s meticulous counter-measures have nearly reined in its sprawling cases traced to the Shincheonji Church followers, South’s bustling metropolitan that houses 9.7 million people takes the baton next in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

South’s Centers for Disease Control (KCDC) reported total confirmed cases of 7,755 with 6 additional fatalities on Wednesday.

The country is the third worst affected hotspot after Italy and Iraq outside of China.

Some 550 co-workers from other three call-centers in the same building were self-quarantined for further virus inspection with Seoul foreseeing another spike in the coming days.

According to the epidemiological results, so far five of the call-center workers were linked to the Shincheonji sect but tested negative.

Park’s preventative measures include investigating similar 417 call-centers citywide, declaring a nearby public transit Sindorim Station under emergency and tracking down plausible cases connected to the employees tested positive.