Mass COVID Outbreak at Chengkungling Military Base 成功嶺替代役爆群聚 335人確診.確診率38%

The Substitute Military Service 234th draftee tier, most of whom are police kuh-dets, was originally expected to finish their training tomorrow, but a large-scale COVID infection broke out and a total of 335 people have been infected. All infected draftees were sent home for home quarantine. 

An outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in Taichung's Chengkungling military base. The 234th tier draftee of the alternative military service, most of whom are police students, started to show symptoms of COVID on the afternoon of the 2nd. The base launched comprehensive rapid testing on the 3rd and 256 draftees tested positive. So far, 335 draftees have been infected, with an infection rate as high as 38 percent. The National Conscription Agency confirmed the outbreak and said it was initially suspected many draftees didn't do their rapid tests properly.

Shen Che-fang, Deputy Director-General, National Conscription Agency: “We ask all draftees to do the quick screening tests themselves. It may be they didn't properly do the tests themselves. But this is only our judgment at the moment.”

The NCA said that draftees are required to do rapid tests two days before and on the day they enter the base. This particular tier entered the base on June 21. Everyone tested negative at the time. The NCA is currently investigating how a mass infection broke out in the base. A draftee posted on Dcard on the 3rd, accusing that two draftees were diagnosed with the virus on the second day during a mass screening. However, the base did not initiate any epidemic prevention measures at all and the virus transmission chain has already expanded. Other draftees in the base also confirmed to the media that the base's epidemic prevention measures are very loose.

Draftee: “The whole dorm was coughing all night. There are only 10 minutes of shower time for more than 100 people who have to shower together. How could you not be infected? Then the divider for eating is the same as if there were no dividers. And we are all together when we train and exercise collectively.”

The NCA emphasized that there are 682 police cadets in tier 234. All infected draftees were sent home in quarantine taxis or picked up by their families for home quarantine. Regulations stipulate that if a draftee misses more than one-sixth of the entire training program, he must restart training from the beginning. Draftees are worried that their rights and interests will be gone as they cooperate with epidemic prevention measures. The NCA's Shen said that proper measures will be discussed in the future. 

成功嶺替代役第234梯役男，大部分都是警大警專生，原本預計明天結訓，但卻爆發大規模快篩陽性，共有335人確診。懷疑是役男入營快篩動作不確實，不過陸續有役男爆料，是營區內完全沒有防疫措施導致。台中成功嶺營區爆發大規模群聚，替代役第234梯役男大部分都是警大警專生，2日下午開始有役男出現新冠肺炎症狀，3日營區展開全面快篩，結果有256人陽性確診，整梯次累積已有335人確診，確診率高達38%。內政部役政署出面證實，初步懷疑跟役男快篩動作不確實有關。

內政部役政署副署長沈哲芳表示：「我們都是請役男自主做快篩，那這個部分可能或許沒有很落實的去做，他自己在做也許沒有，但是這個部分也只是我們的研判。」

役政署表示，替代役男入營前兩天與當天都會要求快篩，本梯次為6月21日入營，當時都是快篩陰性，目前正在了解為何在營區內爆發群聚。不過有受訓役男3日在Dcard發文，指控入營第2天普篩就有兩人確診，但成功嶺完全沒有任何防疫應變措施，病毒傳播鏈已經擴大。同營區其他役男也對媒體證實，營區管理非常鬆散。

成功嶺替代役男說：「整個晚上整個寢室的人都在咳嗽，洗澡時間10分鐘，100多個人一起洗怎麼可能沒有染疫，然後吃飯的隔板有隔跟沒隔一樣，然後大家集體操練，也是全部都聚在一起。」

役政署強調，234梯役男共有682名警大警專生，確診者都由防疫計程車或家屬接回居家照護。由於受訓規定請假超過六分之一天數就要延訓從頭再來，役男相當擔心為了配合防疫而權益受損。役政署副署長沈哲芳說，後續會再研議處置措施。