Military to ban all troops from vacationing, off-installation trips over virus concerns

SEOUL, Nov. 26 (Yonhap) -- The military decided to temporarily ban all troops from vacationing and taking off-installation trips after cluster infections were reported at an Army boot camp amid a nationwide spike in virus cases, the defense ministry said Thursday.

Until Dec. 7, all troops will be subject to tightened social distancing rules in barracks, with vacationing and off-installation visits to be suspended starting Friday, according to the ministry.

The announcement came one day after dozens of newly enlisted soldiers tested positive for COVID-19 at an Army boot camp in the central border town of Yeoncheon. As of Thursday, 66 newly enlisted soldiers and four officers have been confirmed to have been infected with the virus at the unit.

Nationwide, South Korea reported 583 new virus cases, marking the first time in over eight months for the figure to surpass 500. The total caseload rose to 32,318.

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