USFK raises virus warning level for all areas of Korea

The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has raised the health protection level for all areas within South Korea as local coronavirus infections spiked up amid a surge in church-related cases.

Effective at 5 a.m. Monday, the USFK heightened the health protection condition (HPCON) levels to Charlie, or HPCON C, for all areas in the country, the USFK said in a Facebook post.

Under the revised rules, the number of personnel working on bases will be reduced, and the USFK will conduct health checks such as temperature screenings of all people entering its military bases.

On Saturday, the USFK raised its protection level to Charlie within Seoul and the surrounding areas, including the western city of Incheon and eight districts in Gyeonggi.

The decision to raise the HPCON level of all areas within the country came after Korea's new Covid-19 cases reached a five-month high of 279 on Sunday, spiking from 166 on Saturday.

The recent surge in cases has prompted the health authorities to place stricter social distancing guidelines on Seoul and the metropolitan areas, scaling up the national alert level by one notch to Level 2 for two weeks from Sunday.

Yonhap