Senior US Army official tests COVID-19 positive, military commanders in quarantine

The assistant commandant of the US Marine Corps, Gen. Gary L. Thomas, has tested positive for COVID-19. The Marine Corp confirmed Thomas’ infection on Wednesday, October 7 and also revealed that he had attended a meeting of the Joint Chiefs on Friday, October 2, but none of the other top military commanders in the meeting have so far tested positive.

Top US military commanders in Quarantine

As per an AP report, the news of Thomas’ infection raises grave concerns for the health of those in the meeting including the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and National Guard. The Pentagon has stated that the US’s military preparedness has not been compromised in any way and that the nation’s armed services stand ready to protect America.

General Thomas and the others at the meeting have been in isolation since Tuesday, October 6, since news broke that Adm. Charles W. Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard who was at the Friday meeting had tested positive as well. Pentagon’s chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman has stated that at this time no other senior military leader has tested positive and that they will continue “to follow CDC guidance for self-quarantining and contact tracing”.

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The US Marine Corps in a statement claimed that it has been following CDC guidelines for the virus and that while Gen Thomas is only suffering from mild symptoms, he shall continue his quarantine and the Corps will trace all servicemen he came in contact with. It still remains unclear how the vice commandant of the Coast Guard contracted the virus. Ray had attended an event for Gold Star military families at the White House on September 27 that was hosted by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.

The COVID-19 pandemic which saw its first outbreak in a wet market in Wuhan, China last year has now spread all across the world. The virus, named COVID-19 by the World Health Organisation, has infected over 35 million people worldwide with the global death toll crossing 1,000,000. The US has reported more than 7.5 million positive COVID-19 cases and a death toll of over 210,000.

(With AP inputs, Image: AP)

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