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Wife of first US service member to test positive for the coronavirus has also been infected

Feb 29, 2020, 22:49 IST
  • The wife of the first US service member to test positive for the coronavirus has also been infected, US Forces Korea (USFK) said Saturday.
  • This marks the fourth USFK-related coronavirus infection following positive tests for a widowed dependent, a US soldier, and a USFK employee.
  • The wife of the infected soldier and their baby have been moved to an isolation unit at a US military hospital in Daegu, South Korea.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Health officials have been working to determine whether or not anyone else was exposed to the coronavirus after a 23-year-old US soldier stationed in South Korea tested positive earlier this week, becoming the first member of the US military to test positive for the virus.

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On Saturday, the service member's wife has also tested positive, marking the fourth USFK-related coronavirus infection.

The infected soldier's wife and their baby have been moved to an isolation unit at a US military hospital in Daegu. Wearing protective gear, USFK commander Gen. Robert Abrams and his wife, Connie, visited the family at the hospital Saturday.

A 61-year-old widowed US military dependent was the first case and prompted USFK to raise the risk level to "high" for the entire Korean Peninsula. A USFK employee, a Korean national at Camp Caroll, has also tested positive, according to USFK.

South Korea has the highest number of infections outside of China, where the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, originated.

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As of Saturday, the number of infections had jumped to 3,150, Reuters reported, citing the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In response to the outbreak, USFK has placed a number of restrictions on US military personnel. For example, all personnel are, without approval, forbidden from "attending non-essential off-installation activities and social events," including dining out, shopping, hitting bars or clubs, and going to the movies, USFK said in a recent update.

US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement Friday that all non-essential Department of Defense travel to South Korea is prohibited as "the number of reported cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to rise."

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