No additional COVID-19 cases reported among JCS members

Published : Feb 17, 2021 - 13:08 Updated : Feb 17, 2021 - 13:08

COVID-19 tests are carried out at a drive-thru testing station at the defense ministry in Seoul on Tuesday, as the first case at the Joint Chiefs of Staff was reported earlier in the day. (Yonhap)

No additional coronavirus cases have been reported among members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) since a civilian JCS employee tested positive earlier this week, the defense ministry said Wednesday.

The employee tested positive Monday, marking the first case since November reported from the Yongsan compound where the ministry and the JCS headquarters are located.

"Around 80 people, including those who came into contact with the man, underwent virus tests so far, and all of them tested negative," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry and the JCS have strengthened antivirus measures and will take necessary steps, according to officials.

The pandemic has been a major source of concern for the military authorities, particularly as South Korea and the United States are preparing for a regular springtime combined exercise next month.

Among the military population, one Army officer stationed in Seoul tested positive for the new coronavirus Wednesday. He has been in hospital and was confirmed to have been infected after undergoing a test ahead of his planned discharge.

The latest case brought the total number of infections reported among the military members to 562.

Nationwide, the country reported 621 more COVID-19 cases, including 590 local infections, raising the total caseload to 84,946, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. (Yonhap)