Top military leaders at the Pentagon are self-isolating due to their exposure to the coronavirus, the New York Times reported.
These leaders, which includes chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley and Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville, are quarantining after the vice commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral Charles Ray tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday, according to The New York Times.
“Out of an abundance of caution,” an emailed statement from Department of Defense Duty Officer Jonathan Hoffman read, “all potential close contacts from these meetings are self-quarantining and have been tested this morning. No Pentagon contacts have exhibited symptoms and we have no additional positive tests to report at this time.” (RELATED: ‘Unwilling To Crush The Virus’ — Pelosi Slams Trump For Rejecting COVID-19 Stimulus Deal Before Election)
These senior military leaders would “perform their duties from an alternative location” and that there would be “no change to the operational readiness or mission capability of the U.S. Armed Forces” given the positive coronavirus test of Admiral Charles Ray, who had reportedly attended several Pentagon meetings that other military leaders attended, Hoffman said in a statement.
Hoffman also noted that the Department of Defense has been “following CDC guidelines since April” with respect to temperature testing, social distancing, and mask-wearing, as a reiteration that this move to self-quarantine from these top military leaders comes “out of an abundance of caution.”
This comes after the Coast Guard announced on Monday in a statement that Vice Commandant Admiral Charles Ray tested positive for the coronavirus and was quarantining by “following established policies for COVID, per CDC guidelines.”