U.S. service member tests positive for coronavirus in South Korea

Posted: Feb 25, 2020 / 09:14 PM CST / Updated: Feb 25, 2020 / 09:14 PM CST

Workers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. South Korea reported another large jump in new virus cases Monday a day after the the president called for “unprecedented, powerful” steps to combat the outbreak that is increasingly confounding attempts to stop the spread. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A soldier stationed at United States Forces Korea base tested positive for the coronavirus.

A USFK soldier stationed at Camp Carroll tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first time a U.S. service member has tested positive for the virus. We’re implementing all appropriate control measures to protect the force. https://t.co/kkfEIuW7Jb
— U.S. Forces Korea (@USForcesKorea) February 26, 2020

The 23-year-old is the first U.S. service member to test positive for the virus.

Camp Carroll is located in the southeast part of the country. It is just north of the southern city of Busan.

According to the USFK website, the 23-year-old soldier is in quarantine at his off-base residence. Health professionals are working to determine if other people have been exposed to the virus.