Army base in Pocheon hit by COVID-19 outbreak
A soldier wearing rubber gloves and a face mask closes the gate of the Army base in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, as nearly 40 soldiers and officers there have been confirmed to have COVID-19, with virus tests ongoing for all other personnel on the base. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
Nearly 40 soldiers and officers at an Army base in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, have tested positive for COVID-19, putting authorities on high alert over more infection clusters, defense and health officials said Monday.
According to the Ministry of National Defense and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), 33 soldiers and three officers at the Army base were confirmed to have COVID-19 as of noon Monday.
Three infections were first confirmed Sunday, which prompted the military authorities to carry out coronavirus testing for everyone stationed at the base.
About 240 soldiers and officers are stationed there, raising fears over the possibility of more cases emerging.
The military and health authorities are working to trace the infection route.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that the Army base has restricted its members from taking personal leave in accordance with the government's social distancing guidelines aimed at stemming the further spread of the contagious disease. Only emergency leave has been allowed, the military authorities said.
They added that one infected officer was found to have visited Seoul, Sept. 26 and 27, noting that an epidemiological investigation was currently underway.
“We are interviewing all members of the unit to check who went off base,” said Moon Hong-sik, the deputy spokesman for the defense ministry. “We are also working to check if any civilians who visited the base recently are showing symptoms associated with COVID-19.”
He added the military is planning to carry out additional tests on members of nearby bases.
The outbreak at the base comes at a time when the health authorities are bracing for the possibility of another mass outbreak after the five-day Chuseok long weekend that ended Sunday, as many people traveled across the country to spend time with family members, or took advantage of the five-day holiday to go on trips.
According to the KDCA, the country recorded 73 new COVID-19 cases, including 64 local infections, for Sunday, raising the total caseload to 24,164.
The new coronavirus case numbers have stayed below 100 for the fifth straight day, but the authorities say it is too early to become complacent, considering that around 30 million people traveled across the nation over the Chuseok period.