26 US soldiers, 5 civilians test Covid positive in S.Korea

Seoul, Jan 19 Twenty-six more American soldiers and five civil have tested positive for the novel coronavirus upon their arrival in South Korea, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said on Tuesday.

In a statement, it said that the 31 USFK-affiliated individuals were infected with the COVID-19 after arriving in South Korea between December 29, 2020 and January 18, reports Xinhua news agency.

The confirmed patients have been transferred to designated isolation facilities at the US Army Garrison Humphreys and the Osan Air Base, both of which are located in Pyeongtaek, and the Kusan Air Base.

The total number of infections among the USFK-affiliated personnel rose to 635, according to Yonhap news agency.

"Despite the recent confirmed cases, USFK remains at a high level of readiness with less than 1 percent of its active-duty service members currently confirmed positive with Covid-19," the USFK said.

The Covid-19 resurgence in South Korea as showed signs of moderating.

In the latest tally, the country reported 386 more cases on Tuesday, raising the total number of infections to 73,115.

The daily caseload stayed below 400 for two straight days, but it hovered above 100 since November 8, 2020.

( With inputs from IANS )