Eight USFK service members and one civilian employee tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in South Korea.

 

One service member, who was returning to USFK, and one U.S. civilian employee, arrived at Incheon International Airport from the United States on separate commercial flights.

 

The other seven service members arrived at Osan Air Base on two separate U.S. government chartered flight from the United States.

 

All nine individuals tested positive on their first mandatory COVID-19 test prior to entering quarantine, and have since been moved to an isolation facility designated for confirmed COVID-19 cases on Camp Humphreys or Osan Air Base.

 

USFK health professionals determined there was limited contact tracing due to the service members and all others on the commercial and chartered flight being tested, and immediately quarantined without interacting with anybody besides those on their flight or providing administrate and medical support after their arrival; thorough cleaning of all quarantine rooms has been completed.

 

All individuals must pass a second test with negative results prior to being released from isolation.

 

As a testament to USFK’s aggressive preventative control measures to stop the virus’ spread, all USFK-affiliated individual arriving in South Korea from overseas will be tested for COVID-19 and then quarantined for 14 days.

 

As an additional measure to ensure USFK maintains its aggressive posture to prevent the virus’ spread, USFK has conducted approximately 900 random tests of its formations since the end of May 2020 and has recorded zero positive tests.

 

Despite the confirmed cases, USFK remains at a high level of readiness with only 21 active duty service members who are currently confirmed positive for COVID-19.

 

USFK continues to maintain a robust combined defense posture to protect the Republic of Korea against any threat or adversary while maintaining prudent preventive measures to protect the force.

 

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