US Army Europe commander self-isolates after potential COVID-19 exposure
The commander of US Army Europe and several of his staff have placed themselves in self-isolation after attending a recent conference which may have exposed them to coronavirus.
The decision was confirmed in a statement from US Army Europe on 10 March.
According to the statement, ‘following recommended protocols’ General Christopher G Cavoli and others potentially affected are ‘self-monitoring and working remotely to fulfil their command duties and responsibilities’.
US Army Europe continued: ‘We are conducting daily assessments of the situation and are consulting with medical professionals, the joint and OSD [Office of the Secretary of Defense] staff, our exercise host nations and other allies and partners.’
Despite the nationwide lockdown in Italy, the planned DEFENDER-Europe 20 training exercise (pictured) is still going ahead as planned which will see 37,000 soldiers take part in April and May 2020. This will include 20,000 personnel arriving from the US mainland as well as 9,000 already stationed across Europe. A total of 8,000 other personnel will take part from other NATO nations.
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