Park vows to keep strengthened measures against MERS virus

South Korean President Park Geun-hye vowed Friday to keep strengthened measures against the MERS virus until the deadly virus is brought to an end, according to Yonhap News Agency.

"South Korea will put in place a thorough system to cope with new types of contagious diseases," on the occasion of the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Park said at an international conference of nurses that drew thousands of participants from more than 130 countries as well as World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan.

The conference came hours after a 75-year-old patient died from the viral respiratory disease, the 24th MERS-related death in South Korea.

South Korea reported only one new infection case on Friday -- the lowest daily rate in recent days -- which officials said may indicate the outbreak is on the wane.

Park also said South Korea plans to cooperate with foreign experts in fundamentally drawing up a quarantine system to better cope with new types of contagious diseases.

Park made the comment in a separate meeting with Chan at her office.

Quarantine experts from the WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are set to arrive in Seoul next week for talks with their South Korean counterparts.

Chan told Park that she will make sure the most appropriate experts from the U.N. health agency will quickly come to Seoul.

Chan described Park's recent visits to schools as an excellent move, noting that a recent shutdown of schools sparked by what she says is unscientific grounds is undesirable as it could cause public concerns.

Park has visited a primary school and a middle school in Seoul, which have reopened following a shutdown over the MERS virus.

Last week, a joint investigation team of South Korea and the WHO recommended that schools be reopened, noting that schools have not been linked to any transmission of the viral disease.

Still, 108 schools were closed as of 3 p.m., down from 2,622 on June 11.