Members of the D.C. National Guard tested positive for the coronavirus after responding to protests against police brutality and racial injustice.
“We can confirm that we have had COVID-19 positive tests with the DCNG,” spokeswoman Brooke Davis told McClatchy DC on Tuesday. “The safety and security of our personnel is always a concern, especially in light of the COVID-19 era.”
It’s unclear how many service members tested positive.
At least 1,300 D.C. National Guard members were deployed to the District as protests turned violent. The demonstrations have since become largely peaceful. Approximately 3,900 additional Guardsmen from Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah supported the D.C. National Guard.
Almost all units were expected to leave the city by Wednesday, but Davis said those who tested positive will stay until they are no longer contagious or sick.
There have been concerns from top health officials that the massive protests could cause new coronavirus outbreaks. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, called the protests a “perfect setup for further spread.”
“What runs through my mind is … the congregation of large crowds at a time and in an area, a geographic area, where clearly there is active infection transmission,” he said Friday.
