[ad_1]
The Pentagon authorized up to 25,000 members of the National Guard to help secure the inauguration.
Testing for National Guard members sent to DC is “case dependent” but not widely required, the spokesperson said, noting that certain screening procedures, such as temperature checks, are in place.
“Men and women of incoming guards are screened upon departure from their individual state and upon arrival at the DC Armory as per CDC guidelines. Temperature checks and screening questions are in place; masks and social distancing are in place. needed where the mission permits, “the DC National Guard said Friday in a statement to CNN.
The National Guard is encouraging coronavirus testing for staff who are symptomatic or exposed to the coronavirus.
But as CNN has regularly reported, the coronavirus can be spread by people who have no symptoms and without testing it is impossible to know if any of the thousands of members of the Guard are carriers of the virus. And they are deployed with little warning.
Troops are also arriving in large numbers as the United States experiences its deadliest 14 days in the pandemic. More than 3.2 million new cases were reported in the first two weeks of 2021, according to data from John Hopkins University.
Earlier this week, Ohio National Guard Maj. Gen. John Harris expressed concern about the National Guard’s deployment to his state.
“I’m just going to remind you – that these National Guard people that we bring on duty were doing something else just a few days ago and had no idea they would be coming here,” Harris said at a conference. Press. “Bringing these people together – that’s a real concern for us.”
The National Guard is following guidelines issued by the Department of Defense in April that urged staff “to follow CDC guidelines on the use of cloth masks in public places or where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain”. Additional measures are being taken to ensure the safety of members of the Guard, including appropriate personal protective equipment and accommodation arrangements that allow for distancing, a National Guard spokesperson told CNN.
But it would be difficult to maintain Covid-19 social distancing precautions if there was an event similar to the riot on Capitol Hill last week, a spokesperson noted.
National Guard troops deployed to the state level by governors follow the health guidelines of that particular state, including the coronavirus testing protocol. As the District of Columbia is not a state, the role of governor is assumed by the Secretary of the Army under the federal aegis of the Department of Defense.
[ad_2]
Source link