SEOUL– South Korea’s military said Wednesday an Army unit in Gangwon Province reported 58 COVID-19 cases, sparking concerns over the further spread of the virus among military personnel.
The new cases came from an Army base in Hwacheon, 118 kilometers northeast of Seoul. All but one of the patients were fully vaccinated.
The infected troops showed mild or no symptoms.
In response to the cluster infections, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Nam Yeong-shin chaired a virtual meeting with senior commanders, calling for his service branch to review its antivirus readiness and make thorough preparations for the booster shot program.
Earlier this week, the military said it plans to start giving extra COVID-19 vaccine jabs to troops in late December.
Excluding the cases from Hwacheon, the military reported 27 additional COVID-19 cases Wednesday.
The military’s daily COVID-19 tally, announced in the morning, stood at 2,366. Of the cumulative cases in the military, 169 patients are still under treatment.
South Korea’s COVID-19 cases topped a whopping 5,000 for the first time Wednesday, with the number of critically ill patients hitting a fresh high amid concerns over the global spread of the omicron variant.
Source: Yonhap News Agency