SEOUL, Eight more sailors of the South Korean Navy’s anti-piracy unit operating in waters off Africa tested positive for COVID-19, raising the total caseload in the unit to 35, the defense ministry said Saturday.

The additional infections came two days after the ministry said 27 members of the 304-strong Cheonghae unit were found to have contracted the virus.

Twelve of the infected sailors have minor symptoms, such as headaches, while the remainder are asymptomatic, according to the ministry.

The confirmed patients and other troops of the Cheonghae unit, excluding essential personnel, have been in quarantine at a local hotel.

The infected sailors were fully vaccinated in November before they departed for a six-month mission aboard the 4,500-ton destroyer Choi Young and recently received booster shots, officials said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency