South Korea's MERS deaths reach 23

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea says 23 people have died and more than 6,700 are isolated at homes and medical facilities as officials continue their efforts to put the MERS outbreak under control.

Seoul's Health Ministry said Thursday that more than 160 have been diagnosed with Middle East respiratory syndrome nearly a month after the outbreak originated from a 68-year-old man who had traveled to the Middle East.

Officials say that the outbreak has already peaked and could be defused by the end of the month. But the continued discovery of new cases among people who managed to slip through the quarantine measures has casted doubts on such optimism and raised questions about the government's ability to control the situation.