More than 80 percent of some 300 service members in the anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit stationed in African waters have tested positive for COVID-19.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) on Monday, as of 8 a.m., an additional 179 sailors tested positive for the virus among the 301 in the unit aboard the naval destroyer Munmu the Great. 

The new infections raised confirmed cases on the destroyer to 247, or 82 percent of the 34th contingent, since the first case was detected on Thursday.

The JCS said 50 others tested negative, while four others' results came up inconclusive.  

The number of service members who were taken to local hospitals for treatment increased by one to 16.