Defense Ministry begins checking visitors for fever

The Defense Ministry began examining visitors for any signs of fever Monday as concerns spike over the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in Korea.

All commuters were required to measure their temperature on their forehead before entering the ministry building either on foot or by vehicle. As of 11:00 a.m., no one has been found to be a possible MERS patient, a ministry official said.

According to officials, the ministry was the first state agency to carry out such a test. Other institutions including the central government complexes in Seoul and Sejong have yet to do so, while the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and some other organizations are providing hand-washing machines. “Given the presence of the Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters and other key military arms within the ministry compound, it’s pivotal to prevent any infiltration of the virus,” the official told The Korea Herald.

Meanwhile, an Air Force major and an Army captain were additionally placed under quarantine as suspected MERS patients. The major visited the Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul on May 28 for an MRI scan, while the captain went to the Asan Medical Center also in southern Seoul on May 26 to meet with a friend who practices as a doctor there, the official said.

So far, an Air Force chief master sergeant has been confirmed to have contracted the virus. More than 180 service members are currently being kept under quarantine. 

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)