This Time, a Counselor Visiting the 8th Division Also Tests Positive for COVID-19

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] A career counselor who visited a subordinate unit of the 8th Division in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, was also confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Among the approximately 220 personnel in the unit, 14 have tested positive for COVID-19.

According to the military on the 23rd, career counselor A, who visited the subordinate unit of the 8th Division where a cluster infection occurred on the 16th of this month, was confirmed positive for COVID-19 the day before.

After being diagnosed, A reportedly revealed during the quarantine authorities' investigation that they had mild COVID-19 symptoms at the time of visiting the unit.

It is known that some of the confirmed cases participated in the education and counseling sessions conducted by A. The first confirmed case showed fever symptoms on the 19th of this month, after A's visit. However, A provided career counseling for several days not only at the 8th Division subordinate unit where the cluster infection occurred but also at four nearby units, none of which have reported confirmed cases yet.

The military is still investigating the route of COVID-19 introduction into the unit and is not excluding the possibility that the career counselor was the source of infection, conducting an epidemiological investigation.

The first two confirmed cases in the 8th Division returned from leave in early last month, and one of them reportedly went out on the 10th.

However, it seems unlikely that the infection started from them. They returned from leave about 40 days ago and were under preventive observation with continuous fever checks after returning.

One who went out did so on a weekday and stayed outside the unit for about three hours, and this period did not overlap with the confirmed patients' movement paths disclosed by Pocheon City. Since all officers commuting to and from the unit tested negative for COVID-19, it is also presumed that the infection did not come from officers. The military has quarantined the entire unit and restricted movement of all stationed personnel, including officers, immediately after the first confirmed case occurred in the unit.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.