Military medical personnel and senior officials from the Army's Special Forces were dispatched on Monday to assist in COVID-19 tests and epidemiological studies in the capital region.

According to the Army, 379 senior members of the Special Forces will offer administrative support at 79 public health centers in Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and nearby Incheon for the next two months.

The group underwent training last week and were also tested for the virus.

On top of a deployment of 74 medical officers and nurses to temporary test sites in the Seoul metropolitan area, the Defense Ministry is expected to send an additional 486 administrative personnel starting on Wednesday.

Amid a recent spike in infections in the metro region, President Moon Jae-in last week ordered military manpower, police officers and civil workers to be dispatched to help accelerate testing and epidemiological studies.