Coronavirus: The US's top military general quarantining after possible Covid exposure

The Joint Chiefs of Staff are awaiting tests results after potentially being exposed at multiple meetings in the past week

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Donald Trump’s top military advisor and senior defence leadership are in quarantine after the Coast Guard announced an official who tested positive for coronavirus had attended meetings at the Pentagon.

Quoting several US defence officials, general Mark Milley and several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are now in isolation, according to CNN.  

It comes after the Vice Commandant of the US Coast Guard, admiral Charles Ray, experienced mild symptoms over the weekend and began working from home.

The US Air Force chief of staff, Charles Brown, the Chief of Naval Operations, admiral Michael Gilday, the Chief of Space Operations, general John Raymond, and Chief of Staff of the Army, general James McConville, are also all working from home, according to several officials reported by CNN.

None of the Joint Chiefs have tested positive, while Mr Milley most recently tested negative on Tuesday, according to defence officials reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Mr Ray is currently the most senior of the military advisors confirmed to have tested positive, while those that have come in contact with him await test results. 

"On Monday, the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, admiral Charles Ray, tested positive for Covid-19. He was tested the same day, after feeling mild symptoms over the weekend," the Coast Guard said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The Coast Guard is following established policies for Covid, per CDC guidelines, to include quarantine and contact tracing. According to CDC guidelines, any Coast Guard personnel that were in close contact will also quarantine. In accordance with established Coast Guard COVID policies, Admiral Ray will be quarantining from home."

Coast Guard aide Jayna McCarron, meanwhile, was reported by White House correspondent Jennifer Jacobs on Tuesday to have also tested positive. Military aides are known as the link between the president and the White House military office, she said.

Jonathan Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of defence for public affairs, confirmed in a statement that Mr Ray was in meetings at the Pentagon last week.

"Some meeting attendees included other Service Chiefs. We are conducting additional contact tracing and taking appropriate precautions to protect the force and the mission," he said.

"Out of an abundance of caution, all potential close contacts from these meetings are self-quarantining and have been tested this morning. No Pentagon contacts have exhibited symptoms and we have no additional positive tests to report at this time.”

The self-quarantining reportedly is broader than just the Joint Chiefs due to exposure at multiple meetings, as well as meeting in the Pentagon’s secure meeting space where classified information is shared.

Other military personal said to be working from alternate locations include general John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, general Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard, general Paul Nakasone, US Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, and general Gary Thomas, assistant commandant of US Marine Corps.