Pyeongtaek Vice Mayor Lee Jong-ho Visits Camp Humphreys to Check COVID-19 Response

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] As confirmed cases among newly arriving U.S. Forces Korea personnel continue to occur, Pyeongtaek City visited Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek on the 31st to check COVID-19 response measures.

Vice Mayor Lee Jong-ho of Pyeongtaek and related officials conveyed to Colonel Michael Tremblay, commander of Camp Humphreys, that public concerns are heightening as confirmed cases among U.S. military personnel returning from overseas continue to rise.

They also urged strict compliance with quarantine and isolation procedures for incoming military personnel from abroad and disease prevention protocols.

Colonel Tremblay stated, "The recent increase in confirmed cases among U.S. military personnel is due to increased overseas inflow resulting from troop rotation. Even if incoming personnel test negative, they must undergo 14 days of self-quarantine, and after the isolation period ends, they must be retested and receive a final negative result before being assigned to duty," and explained that their thorough system has prevented transmission within the base.

Vice Mayor Lee Jong-ho said, "For U.S. military personnel entering from abroad, sustained attention from the U.S. military side and efforts to comply with disease prevention protocols are more important than ever to ensure continued rigorous management."

He added, "Since May 13, the city has had no confirmed cases of local transmission, which demonstrates that the city and Camp Humphreys are closely cooperating and responding well to the COVID-19 situation. We express our gratitude to the citizens and U.S. military personnel who are actively cooperating in disease prevention efforts."