COVID-19 Quarantined Soldier Injured While Escaping from 3rd Floor to Buy Cigarettes

As social distancing was adjusted to Level 1, military personnel's leave, which had been restricted to prevent the spread of COVID-19, was fully reinstated. On the 12th, at Seoul Station, a soldier is waiting in the lounge to use the TMO service. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]A soldier who was under preventive quarantine in a COVID-19 isolation facility was injured while attempting to escape from the third floor to get cigarettes.

According to the Army on the 12th, at around 11:30 p.m. on the 8th, soldier A fell and broke his ankle while climbing down from a window on the third floor of a single-officer dormitory outside the base in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, which was being used as a COVID-19 isolation facility.

Investigations revealed that A, who had been quarantined since the 1st after close contact with a confirmed case, could not resist the urge to smoke and tried to climb down from the third-floor window using three tied blankets, but the knot came undone at the height of the second floor, causing him to fall. A is currently receiving treatment at a military hospital.

The Army explained that in the isolation facility converted from the officer dormitory, smoking is prohibited during the quarantine period and cigarettes are not allowed. Meals, snacks, books, and videos are directly provided to each room for quarantined soldiers. The Army added that once A’s treatment is completed, they will investigate whether he violated quarantine orders and will take strict action accordingly.

Meanwhile, as of 10 a.m. the previous day, the number of personnel quarantined preventively according to the military’s own standards reached 4,889.

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