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An exhausted health worker at Keimyung University Daegu Dongsan Hospital takes a nap on Feb. 23. (Yonhap News)

The family member of an American soldier has tested positive for the novel coronavirus on an US military base in Daegu. This is the first case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, on a US military base in the country. US Forces Korea (USFK) has responded by raising the threat level for facilities and personnel from “medium” to “high.”

“South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) informed United States Forces Korea today that a USFK dependent living in Daegu tested positive for COVID-19, making this the first time a USFK-related individual has tested positive for the virus,” the USFK said in a statement on its website on Feb. 24.

“The patient, a 61-year old female, visited Camp Walker’s Post Exchange on Feb. 12 and 15, and KCDC and USFK health professionals are actively conducting contact tracing to determine whether any others may have been exposed.”

By Yoo Kang-moon, senior staff writer

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