Several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley, are in self-quarantine after being in contact with a top Coast Guard official who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement none of the Pentagon officials who were in a recent meeting with Adm. Charles Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard, have exhibited symptoms or tested positive themselves.
“We are aware that Vice Commandant Ray has tested positive for COVID-19 and that he was at the Pentagon last week for meetings with other senior military leaders. Some meeting attendees included other Service Chiefs. We are conducting additional contact tracing and taking appropriate precautions to protect the force and the mission. Out of an abundance of caution, all potential close contacts from these meetings are self-quarantining and have been tested this morning,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman added there’s been no change to “operational readiness or mission capability” as a result of the senior leaders having to self-quarantine.
“Senior military leaders are able to remain fully mission capable and perform their duties from an alternative work location,” Hoffman said.