Infection Spread Inside Dormitory... Concerns Over Regional Transmission
Soldiers are moving at Seoul Station on the 10th, when group leave was implemented for soldiers at the company and platoon levels. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] A COVID-19 cluster infection occurred at an army unit located in Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon Province, prompting emergency testing of 200 personnel from adjacent units.
According to the Ministry of National Defense and Gangwon Province health authorities on the 16th, at an army division, a soldier who returned from leave on the 14th and was quarantined as a preventive measure was the first confirmed case. Subsequently, 26 additional cases were confirmed, including 6 officers and 20 soldiers. All 26 newly confirmed cases were ordinary soldiers living in the unit barracks and officers who commuted to and from the base.
The Ministry of National Defense reported that the first confirmed case in the unit, the 231st patient in Cheorwon, tested positive during cohort isolation. Two soldiers who visited the quarantine facility for duties such as delivering supplies were additionally infected.
Separately, when one soldier who returned from leave on the 14th was additionally confirmed positive at an external civilian hospital, mass testing of all unit members was conducted, revealing a large number of confirmed cases. Since infections occurred simultaneously in the general barracks and the infection route is unclear, concerns about further spread are emerging.
The military authorities have taken emergency measures. Except for some personnel such as those on leave from the unit, most of the full-scale testing has been completed. However, testing is ongoing for about 200 people, including family members of the confirmed officers and personnel from adjacent units living in the same apartment complex.
In the morning, the Army held an emergency countermeasure meeting chaired by Chief of Staff Nam Young-shin. They announced that they will collaborate with health authorities and devise proactive quarantine measures to prevent additional infections and community transmission.
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