The number of MERS infection cases in South Korea have risen to 18 on Monday.

Only one elderly patient was reported to be critical after being infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), but news of the infections has triggered public alarm in the country.

On Monday, health officials were reprimanded by President Park Geun-Hye of South Korea for responding in an "insufficient" manner in light of the deadly virus infections.

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"The initial response to Mers was insufficient," Park said during a meeting with his aides. He particularly criticized health officials for letting an infected man pass through China despite doctors' warnings of the disease. After the meeting, he urged "all-out" government action to stop the disease from spreading further.

The day before President Park's comment, Health Minister Moon Hyung-Pyo made an apology and said the department underestimated the virus' initial threat.

The 44-year-old man reportedly left South Korea for a business trip last Tuesday. A day prior to his trip, his father had been diagnosed with the virus. He was declared infected Friday.

The man went to Hong Kong before setting foot in Huizhou, China. He is now undergoing treatment in the country and is currently under quarantine, reported News 24.

"There are three additional cases, so we confirmed that a total of 18 people have MERS," said South Korean Director of Public Health Policy Kwon Jun-wook. "These three people among the 18 are the same as the other 15 patients who were infected by the first confirmed case and are linked with one specific hospital."

Meanwhile, five from the infected 18 were described to be seriously ill; however, there have been no reported deaths since the case was first reported on May 20, according to Kim Woo-joo, chair of the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases.

"There should be no deaths and tertiary transmissions. However, as Director Kwon says, five people among 18 are in serious condition," Kim said. "They have pneumonia symptoms and have been put on respirators."

President Park said Sunday that the South Korean government had already set up a task force to deal with the MERS virus spread in the country.

The health ministry also said that they have placed a total of 682 people under quarantine or special observation at their homes or facilities run by the state, whether directly or indirectly exposed to the MERS virus, according to The Bangkok Post.

The current MERS outbreak in South Korea reportedly started with a 68-year-old man who had been diagnosed after a trip to Saudi Arabia.

Patients, relatives, and hospital staff who had contact with the man in the hospital where he is recuperating are among the 17 infected with the virus.

There has been no recommendation from the United Nations health agency for South Korea to enforce passenger screenings or travel and trade restrictions with the current MERS outbreak, according to CNN Philippines.

However, authorities want to ban overseas travel altogether for the 600 and more people under quarantine.

MERS, caused by the same family of virus as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS in China in 2003, was first recognized in humans in 2012. The virus has neither a cure nor vaccine.

While MERS is considered deadlier than SARS, it is less infectious. The current MERS outbreak in South Korea is considered the largest outbreak in countries outside the Middle East. The 18 cases is the fourth highest number of confirmed cases after Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, according to The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Tagssouth korea MERS, MERS, Seoul, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, SARS, President Park Geun-Hye