▲ Sailors of the 300-strong 36th contingent of the Cheonghae unit salute aboard the Choi Young destroyer during a send-off ceremony at a naval base in Busan on Nov. 12, 2021, before leaving for the Gulf of Aden to combat piracy in waters off Somalia over the next six months, in this photo provided by the Navy. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Cheonghae unit-coronavirus

9 more sailors of anti-piracy Cheonghae unit test positive for COVID-19

SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- Nine more sailors of South Korea's anti-piracy unit operating in waters off Africa have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload in the unit to 44, the defense ministry said Sunday.

The additional infections came three days after the ministry said 27 members of the 304-strong Cheonghae unit were found to have contracted the virus.

The confirmed patients and other members of the unit, excluding essential personnel, have been in quarantine at a local hotel.

The infected sailors were fully vaccinated in November before they departed for a six-month mission aboard the 4,500-ton Choi Young destroyer and recently received booster shots, according to officials.

As of Sunday, the military had reported 4,631 COVID-19 cases, of which 805 are currently under treatment.

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