Taipei, Feb. 20 (CNA) Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Thursday issued a basic Level 1 travel alert for South Korea, advising travelers from Taiwan to exercise normal precautions while in the country, in light of a spike in novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases there.

The travel advisory was issued in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus after South Korea confirmed it first death from the disease and a sharp increase in new cases, said Health Minister Chen Shih-chung, who heads the CECC.

South Korea on Thursday reported its first coronavirus death and 53 new cases of the coronavirus in a single day, bringing its total to 104.

In 49 cases, the patients are from Daegu or surrounding areas, and the infections have been traced to a person who attended a local church, according to the CECC.

South Korean health authorities have warned that the virus is now spreading in communities there, the CECC said.