Dozens of officers on the ship were called into tight quarters to be briefed on the situation, even as health experts have emphasized the need for social distancing to stop the spread of the virus.
ProPublica: After Discovering A Sailor With Coronavirus, The U.S. Navy Crowded Dozens Into One Room
It wasn’t a surprise when the U.S. Navy announced Sunday that the fast-spreading coronavirus had made its way on board one of its ships, infecting a sailor on the USS Boxer, docked in San Diego. But what happened next raises questions about how the Navy will respond to the virus within the tight quarters of its seabound vessels. (Faturechi, Rose and Miller, 3/16)
In other news —
The Hill: Pentagon Pushes Back On Reports Troops In Afghanistan Don’t Have Coronavirus Tests
Pentagon officials on Monday pushed back on reports that troops based in Afghanistan did not have access to coronavirus testing. Instead, they explained tests were readily available but that they do not have the required machine in-country to process them. The tests must be shipped to the nearest military lab in Germany. (Mitchell, 3/16)
Politico: Why You Can’t Just ‘Call Out The Military’ To Fix The Coronavirus Crisis
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants the Army Corps of Engineers to build overflow hospitals. Bernie Sanders wants to call up the National Guard. Joe Biden says “call out the military — now.” But the military isn’t a cure-all, and there are significant legal and practical limits to what the armed forces can do during the coronavirus crisis. (Bender and Seligman, 3/16)
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