740 soldiers quarantined over new coronavirus: defense ministry
SEOUL, Feb. 13 (Yonhap) -- About 740 soldiers are quarantined as part of efforts to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading into barracks, the defense ministry said Thursday.
The quarantined soldiers, including 520 conscripts, have either visited China, Hong Kong or Macao in the past 14 days or had contact with people who traveled to those places, according to the ministry.
"No confirmed or suspected cases have been reported among our service personnel" a ministry official said.
Since the end of last month, the ministry temporarily banned service personnel from visiting China. The South Korean government issued a travel alert for China except for Taiwan, and called for "restraint" of travel to Hong Kong and Macau.
"Currently, the number of soldiers quarantined after visits to the cited countries stood at around 40. We continue to implement related preemptive measures against the virus," the official added.
As of early Thursday, South Korea had 28 confirmed cases of the novel virus, named COVID-19.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
S. Korea to resume issuing short-term travel visas, e-visas next month
-
Ateez to drop new Japanese EP next week
-
(2nd LD) BTS wins three Billboard Music Awards, marking 6th year to win an award
-
Crypto investor probed over allegedly visiting house of Terraform's CEO
-
(2nd LD) N. Korea still unresponsive to S. Korea's outreach for talks on COVID-19: official
-
S. Korea to resume issuing short-term travel visas, e-visas next month
-
(LEAD) Yoon, PPP lawmakers travel to Gwangju en masse to commemorate 1980 democracy uprising
-
S. Korea to send condolence delegation to UAE over death of president
-
(LEAD) At least 8 injured in S-Oil refinery explosion in Ulsan: firefighters
-
(LEAD) Biden set to arrive in S. Korea for first summit with Yoon
-
First lady Kim to greet Biden before state dinner
-
(2nd LD) Yoon, Biden hold first summit on N. Korea, economy
-
(4th LD) Yoon, Biden tour Samsung chip plant ahead of summit
-
(5th LD) Yoon, Biden agree to expand joint military exercises to cope with N.K. threats
-
N. Korea to hold state funeral for military official known for ties with Kim Jong-un