South Korea reported another large jump in new virus cases Monday, according to The Associated Press. The 231 new cases brought South Korea’s total to 833, and two more deaths raised its toll to seven.
The outbreak has spread rapidly since hitting the southeastern city of Daegu and surrounding areas last week, prompting growing concern for the local Army garrison with more than 9,000 American soldiers, family members and other personnel.
“When I first heard about the virus, I really wasn’t giving it so much thought,” Pvt. Hector Mercado said Saturday in between checking drivers lined up to enter Camp Walker. “However, once it hit Korea, once it hit Seoul and once it hit Daegu, then I was like, ‘OK this is real.’ ”
“I’m not scared, but I am worried because this is causing a lot of harm, and it’s something you can’t see. It’s something you can’t touch,” said Mercado, 23, from Puerto Rico. “It’s not like somebody is attacking you.”
Mercado said he normally would spend the weekend with his South Korean girlfriend, but he had to settle for video phone chats.
“We can only go from one base to another. For me, it’s very limiting because I like to be outside, be in the coffee shops and get to know the culture,” he said. “So, it’s a little frustrating, it’s a little irritating, but it is what it is.”
The garrison commander noted the military already has a well-developed evacuation plan to remove civilians from the divided peninsula if needed due to the threat from North Korea.
“We’re not there yet. I mean it’s something we’re capable of doing,” Ballanco said Saturday after apologizing for not shaking hands to avoid any chance of contamination.
He stressed that the military has advantages in preventing the virus.
“One, our population is a healthy one. We’re outside a lot. We’re mostly fit,” he said. “We also have the ability to seclude ourselves from the population quite a bit.” Read more>>>
