SEOUL– South Korea’s military on Thursday reported 351 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its domestic personnel to 7,508.
The new cases included 183 from the Army, 93 from the Air Force, 29 from the Navy, 26 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry, 17 from the Marine Corps, two from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and one from the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.
The latest Air Force vi rus count includes 71 trainees at the Education & Training Command in Jinju, 434 kilometers south of Seoul. The new cases brought the command’s total caseload to 622.
Currently, 2,850 military personnel are under treatment.
Meanwhile, two more sailors of the Navy’s 304-strong Cheonghae unit operating in waters off Africa tested positive, bringing its cumulative infection count to 59.
Around 200 service members of the unit, including fully recovered ones, are set to return to duty Thursday after a quarantine period, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In a Facebook post, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said it plans to ease its social distancing rules for its personnel Friday “to align with” South Korea’s health guidelines.
Seated dining at off-based restaurants will be allowed, though its personnel will still be banned from traveling to Seoul except for official duties or those who live there, according to the USFK.
Source: Yonhap News Agency