WASHINGTON — A U.S. service member tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival at Osan Air Base, South Korea, on Monday after a charter flight from Seattle with other service members and dependents, according to U.S. Forces Korea.
A spokesperson for U.S. Forces Korea said all passengers and crew were tested on arrival. The person who tested positive was placed in isolation, and the rest of the passengers and crew are all in quarantine.
All passengers and crew were required to wear masks during the flight, the spokesperson said. The chartered flights go on a loop among Seattle, Japan and Korea. Direct flights across the Pacific Ocean from the U.S. last more than 10 hours.
In a statement, U.S. Forces Korea said: "A newly assigned USFK service member tested positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival to South Korea from the United States on a U.S. government chartered flight.
"He arrived at Osan Air Base on May 11, was immediately tested upon arrival for the virus and moved to an isolation room at Osan AB hospital after being confirmed with COVID-19.
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"As a testament to USFK's aggressive preventative control measures to stop the virus' spread, any USFK-affiliated individual arriving in South Korea from overseas will be tested for COVID-19 and then quarantined for 14 days."
