Number of infected people in South Korea increases rapidly, 1 US soldier 'infected' with Covid-19

The new cases bring the total number of infections in South Korea to 1,146, a number that is expected to rise as the South Korean government expands testing, especially for more than 200,000 members of a religious sect that has been hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

Of the new cases, 134 are from the city of Daegu, home to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect, which is believed to have contributed significantly to the rapid spread of the virus in South Korea.

The US military also announced in a statement the first case in South Korea, a 23-year-old soldier stationed at Camp Carroll, about 20km from Daegu. The camp is near a care centre for the disabled, which has also reported multiple cases of the virus. The soldier is now self-isolating at his home off base, the US military said.

“He arrived at Camp Walker on February 24 and was at Camp Carroll from February 21 to 25. Medical professionals at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) are actively conducting contact tracing to determine if anyone else may have been exposed,” the statement said.

On February 25, three US officials told CNN that the South Korean and US militaries are discussing the final details of a plan to curtail joint exercises, and are expected to make an announcement soon. The reason for this is that the new strain of Corona virus (Sars-CoV-2) has significantly limited the ability of both countries' militaries to participate in exercises.

The 12th death in South Korea was also announced on February 26, the Joongang Ilbo newspaper reported. The patient was a 73-year-old man with a history of diabetes and a member of the Shincheonji religious sect.