SEOUL– President Moon Jae-in on Friday instructed aides to swiftly and sufficiently provide oral COVID-19 antiviral treatment to the troops of the Navy’s anti-piracy unit operating in waters off Africa who tested positive for the virus.
South Korea’s military said that 27 members of the 304-strong Cheonghae unit were found to have contracted COVID-19 after a suspected case emerged earlier this week.
Although the government has provided oral COVID-19 antiviral treatment to the Cheonghae unit, Moon ordered aides to supply more oral pills to the unit in case additional cases are reported, according to Park Soo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for public communication.
The confirmed patients and other troops of the Cheonghae unit, excluding essential personnel, have been in quarantine at a local hotel, Park said.
Ten of the infected sailors show minor symptoms, such as headaches, while the remainder are asymptomatic, according to the Korean military.
The infected sailors were fully vaccinated in November when they departed for a six-month mission aboard the 4,500-ton destroyer Choi Young and received booster shots recently, officials said.
Source: Yonhap News Agency