On the First Day of Military Enlistment, 'Rapid Antigen Test + PCR Test' Will Be Conducted

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] To minimize the spread of the COVID-19 variant Omicron, quarantine measures for new recruits and returning soldiers on leave will be strengthened.

On the afternoon of the 4th, the Ministry of National Defense held the 17th major commanders' meeting on COVID-19 across the armed forces via video conference at the Yongsan District office in Seoul, chaired by Minister Seo Wook, where they discussed Omicron quarantine measures including these contents.

The Ministry of National Defense plans to have all new recruits undergo both a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and a rapid antigen test on the first day of enlistment. New soldiers who test positive on the rapid antigen test, which provides results in 15 minutes, will be isolated individually until the PCR test results are confirmed. Previously, only PCR tests were conducted for new recruits.

Mid-term testing on days 3 to 4 of enlistment will also be actively encouraged, and if the training center’s isolation conditions are sufficient, the current 7-day preventive isolation period may be extended up to 14 days. To ensure continuous mask-wearing, the distribution of health masks (KF94/80) will be expanded from 20 to 30 masks per person per month. Separately from post-enlistment management measures, the Ministry of National Defense plans to cooperate with the Military Manpower Administration to send advance text message notifications encouraging enlistment candidates to take rapid antigen tests at civilian screening clinics before enlistment.

Since current social distancing measures remain in place, the Ministry of National Defense is not considering restricting soldiers’ leave or outings at this time. However, returning soldiers will be required to confirm their PCR test results before rejoining their units as part of strengthened quarantine measures.

In response to the rapid increase in Omicron infections, the Ministry of National Defense will also urgently expand the number of unit epidemiological investigators. Initially, 200 investigators will be trained early by next month, with an additional 350 to be trained later. To prepare for the surge in isolated personnel, plans are being considered to secure an additional 1,000 isolation rooms through expanding available isolation facilities within units and leasing from the private sector.

To prepare for cluster infections in overseas deployed units, additional oral antiviral treatments will be supplied. By the end of last month, antiviral treatments were proactively distributed to four overseas deployed units, and the Ministry of National Defense reported that 152 more doses were recently sent to the 36th Cheonghae Unit (Choi Young-ham), where a cluster infection occurred.

Minister Seo emphasized at the meeting, "Although the severity rate is low, the highly transmissible nature of the Omicron virus has led to a sharp increase in confirmed cases inside and outside the military, making the situation serious. Minimizing the introduction of COVID-19 into the military and effective quarantine management are essential prerequisites for maintaining the military’s core mission of readiness." He added, "No matter how good the measures are, they are meaningless if not properly implemented," and instructed major commanders, including the chiefs of each military branch, to continuously monitor quarantine sites and respond promptly.

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