World News | Military Leaders Quarantined After Official Tests Positive
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Top military leaders are under self-quarantine after a senior Coast Guard official tested positive for the coronavirus, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Washington, Oct 6 (AP) Top military leaders are under self-quarantine after a senior Coast Guard official tested positive for the coronavirus, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, was among those affected, US officials said.
Military leaders who were in contact with Adm. Charles W. Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard, have been tested, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement. None have exhibited symptoms or have so far tested positive.
Hoffman said the quarantining of leaders won't affect “the operational readiness or mission capability of the US Armed Forces.”
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“Senior military leaders are able to remain fully mission capable and perform their duties from an alternative work location,” he said.
Hoffman's statement did not identify those affected, but multiple US officials said that besides Milley, they included the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as the head of US Cyber Command, Gen. Paul Nakasone.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information not yet made public.
It is not known how Ray contracted the virus, but it was not believed to be related to the outbreak affecting President Donald Trump and others at the White House, the officials said.
The Coast Guard said in a statement that Ray felt mild symptoms over the weekend and was tested on Monday.
Up to 14 officials are believed to have been potentially exposed to the virus after meetings last week with Ray. The officials were informed about the positive test on Monday.(AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)