Unprecedented security measures were implemented for the U.S. presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, and some 25,000 National Guard members were deployed from across the United States to assist with security. However, on Friday (Jan. 22) several U.S. media outlets reported that at least hundreds of people in the National Guard deployed to Washington, D.C., had contracted the disease and that hundreds of people who were in close contact or showing symptoms were being quarantined at nearby hotels.
As some of the troops are returning Home, it has also raised concerns about the accelerated spread of the Communist virus (Wuhan pneumonia).
According to a report in Politico on Friday, three sources in the Guard said that despite the Guard’s best efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, more than 100 troops have tested positive and hundreds of those exposed to positive cases or showing symptoms are being quarantined in nearby hotels. Although the number of confirmed cases has not been released by the top brass of the force, members of the force and members of Congress are concerned about whether a super-spreaders incident has occurred.
An unnamed official told Reuters that 150 to 200 National Guard members have tested positive for the virus, and he said the number of people testing positive could rise, but is still only a small fraction of the 25,000 soldiers.
The Wall Street Journal reported similar news. The newspaper noted that in footage captured since the Guard members arrived at the Capitol, they were sometimes seen close together and occasionally without their masks on. A Defense Department official said reports of soldiers working and moving around in tight quarters raised concerns that the principle of preparedness could not be maintained.
The issue became more complicated Thursday night. Thousands of troops stationed at the U.S. Capitol at the Time were told to evacuate the Capitol and rest outside and in a nearby parking lot, according to reports. The parking lot allegedly had only one restroom, yet had to be used by 5,000 troops.
Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Rules Committee, said the committee is looking into the issue and is particularly concerned about how the National Guard is going to implement the precautionary measures. The senator said forcing thousands of soldiers into crowded parking lots may have contributed to the spread of Covid-19.
The National Guard said in a statement that it will not release numbers of cases, but that personnel are following CDC guidelines, including having to check their temperature and fill out screening questionnaires when they leave home and arrive in Washington, D.C.
The military said it is arranging for thousands of troops to return home, and about 15,000 are expected to leave Washington in the next 5 to 10 days.
About 7,000 National Guard personnel are expected to remain through the end of the month, officials said. About 5,000 troops are expected to be stationed through mid-March, but the exact number and timing are still subject to change.
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