U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) has eased rules on when to release service members and families put in isolation after contracting COVID-19.

In a statement on Tuesday, USFK said it will release patients who have displayed no symptoms and spent 21 days in isolation even if they continue to test positive for the virus. 

Until now, USKF members diagnosed with the virus had to spend seven days in quarantine without symptoms and test negative in two consecutive tests carried out within 24 hours. 

USFK cited recent medical studies that deem individuals are no longer contagious after 20 days, noting the decision was made after consulting with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control(CDC) and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA). 

KDCA deputy director Kwon Jun-wook confirmed this in a briefing Tuesday, attributing positive tests results after 20 days to dead viruses left in the body. 

As of Tuesday, there have been 193 positive cases linked to USFK.