WASHINGTON, Nov 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A senior US defense official tested positive for Covid-19 after meeting last week in Washington with
Lithuania’s defense chief, who later also tested positive for the virus, the
Pentagon said.
Spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said that the Pentagon was informed Thursday that Lithuanian Minister of Defence Raimundas Karoblis, who visited Washington on Nov 13, was infected with the coronavirus.
During his visit Karoblis met with the new US Acting Defense Secretary
Chris Miller, and the secretaries of the army, navy and air force.
So far Miller and the others have tested negative.
But Anthony Tata, who President Donald Trump installed earlier this month
to serve as undersecretary of defense for policy, also joined the meetings,
and he showed positive for coronavirus in two tests taken Thursday.
Tata is now quarantining at home for 14 days, Hoffman said.
However, because standard Covid mitigation guidelines were followed during Miller’s meeting with Karoblis and meetings with Tata, Miller “is not
quarantining,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman said the Department of Defense continues to conduct further contact tracing of department personnel who had close contact with the Lithuanian delegation or Tata. — NNN-AGENCIES
