4 Marines, 3 Army soldiers test positive for virus

SEOUL, May 12 (Yonhap) -- Four Marines and three Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Wednesday.

The Marines, based in the southeastern city of Pohang, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 upon returning from vacation while under a cohort isolation, according to the ministry.

The other three soldiers, each based in Seoul, the northeastern county of Inje and the southeastern city of Ulsan, were found to be infected after coming into contact with virus patients.

The latest cases raised the total number of infections reported among the military population to 846.

The military plans to wrap up giving the first jabs of coronavirus vaccines to service members aged 30 and older this week.

As of Tuesday, 95 percent of about 114,000 service members, who are eligible for the first round of vaccination and agreed to take it, have had their first jabs of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the ministry said.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
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