Seoul: Seven more American service members and their five dependents have tested positive for the novel coronavirus after arriving in South Korea, the US Forces Korea said on Monday.
Five service personnel and three family members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 70 km south of Seoul, on US government-chartered flights on July 14, 19, 20 and 22, reports Yonhap News Agency.
The rest arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on separate commercial flights on July 22 and 24, according to the USFK.
Ten of the total tested positive on their first mandatory COVID-19 test before entering quarantine, and two others tested negative on their first test but retested positive later, it added.
“All individuals were transferred to an isolation facility designated for confirmed COVID-19 cases at either Camp Humphreys or Osan Air Base upon testing positive,” USFK said in a statement, adding thorough cleansing of places that they have visited has been completed.
The latest virus cases brought the total number of USFK-related infections to 123.
Of them, 87 were reported in July, and all of them were newly arriving service members, dependents and others.
On Monday, South Korea reported 25 new cases, including 16 cases from abroad, bringing the total caseload to 14,175, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).