A mass infection has become a reality in the Navy's Cheonghae Unit, the Munmu the Great, which is being dispatched to African waters.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that as of 8 am today (18th), as a result of conducting a gene amplification PCR test for COVID-19 testing, 68 out of 101 (the results have been released so far) were positive and 33 were negative.
This is an increase of 61 from the previous day's 7 confirmed cases.
The total number of people living together on the Munmu the Great is about 300.
With the cooperation of neighboring countries, PCR tests were conducted on all of them around 0 o'clock the day before, but the results for the remaining about 200 have not yet been released.
As a result, the number of confirmed cases is expected to increase further.
If you look at the number of confirmed cases so far, it means that one in five Cheonghae Unit members is infected.
The number of hospitalized patients increased by 3, bringing the total to 15.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "Three additional hospitalized patients were hospitalized after going out of the local hospital today for pneumococcal disease (upper), and are being treated."
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, there are three patients subject to intensive management, and so far, the medical staff judges that it is possible to evacuate them by aerial refueling transport.
Their early return to their home country has also been formalized.
"The military has been conducting close consultations with relevant countries and related organizations," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. "Two multi-purpose aerial refueling transport aircraft are scheduled to depart this afternoon for the return of the soldiers of the Cheonghae Unit."
(Photo = Yonhap News)