A paratrooper assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, prepares for an Airborne Operation at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on May 7.
Spc. Hubert Delany III | US Exercise
WASHINGTON – The number of active-duty US military personnel infected with the coronavirus has more than doubled in the past three weeks, a revelation that comes as the Pentagon lifts travel restrictions and refuge orders at the scene.
On June 10, the Pentagon reported that 2,807 US service members tested positive for coronavirus. Twenty-two days later, that number has now skyrocketed to 6,493 cases, according to figures released by the Department of Defense.
Since the coronavirus emerged, the Pentagon has reported a total of 18,071 cases; Of these, 12,521 are active duty military, 2,644 are civilians, 1,740 are dependents, and 1,166 are contractors. These figures include 8,683 recoveries and 38 deaths across the department.
The increase in new cases comes as the Pentagon lifts travel restrictions for Defense Department personnel in 48 states, as well as eight host countries, including Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
On Wednesday, the US reported more than 50,600 additional cases of coronavirus, the largest increase in a single day since the outbreak began, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The record peak in new coronavirus cases challenges the Trump administration’s push to reopen the U.S. economy.
Thomas McCaffery, undersecretary of defense for health affairs, said during a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday that the Defense Department was aware of and oversaw the increase in cases of military coronavirus in Florida, Texas, Arizona and parts of California.
“While we are seeing some increases in the same places as there are increases in the civil sector, again, that is not necessarily too surprising,” McCaffery explained, adding that the Pentagon has increased and expanded the evidence to include service members. asymptomatic.
“When we get data and see an increase, we are going to step in. We will make sure that person, if they need care, receive care, if they need to be isolated, they will be isolated, and we will do the appropriate contact trace to contain any spread of infection.” he added.
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