Coronavirus testing at the Pentagon is scarce, according to an internal memo to Pentagon officials.
The memo was obtained by The Washington Times and detailed in a Wednesday report.
“COVID-19 testing is scarce, many people are simply being told to go home and self-isolate,” the memo said. “Expect this to continue.”
The Pentagon Governance Council heard the assessment during an anti-virus meeting on Monday, according to the Times.
The newspaper said the memo was written by a participant and circulated to “senior leaders.”
It also claimed the Pentagon’s DiLorenzo medical clinic is “only conducting tests for first responders and medical personnel.”
The newspaper noted the Pentagon is reducing its population. About 19,000 of the 26,000 military and civilian personnel have been shifted to at-home workstations.
A Pentagon spokesman told The Times: “We are not going to comment on internal deliberations of Pentagon leadership. What I can tell you is that DiLorenzo clinic is pre-screening everyone at the entrance, and anyone who is determined to be symptomatic for COVID-19 is tested.
“Regarding the population currently working at the Pentagon, we are not going to discuss specific numbers. What I can tell you is that we are encouraging maximum telework, and that each DoD (Department of Defense) component makes the determination on their personnel needs for accomplishing their mission essential functions.”
Meanwhile, senior Pentagon leaders said this week that the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak could continue for months and the military would continue to support efforts to counter it for as long as needed.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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