A soldier receives a test before returning to his base after vacation at an outdoor COVID-19 testing station in Seoul on March 12, 2021. (Yonhap)
Two Army officers and a soldier tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Friday, the latest in a series of COVID-19 cases at barracks across the nation.
One officer in the city of Hwaseong, south of Seoul, contracted the virus after coming into contact with a colleague who earlier tested positive, according to the ministry. So far, the unit reported three COVID-19 cases.
"Around 130 members undertook tests, and no additional cases have been reported up until this morning. We are taking necessary measures to stop the further spread," a ministry official said.
The other officer in Namyangju, northeast of Seoul, and the soldier stationed in the border town of Yeoncheon were confirmed to have been infected in tests required to return to their respective bases after vacation, the ministry said.
The latest cases brought the total caseload among the military population to 635. Of them, 597 have been fully cured and 38 are under treatment.
Nationwide, the country reported 463 more COVID-19 cases, including 441 local infections, raising the total caseload to 97,757, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. (Yonhap)