WILDFIRE

Coronavirus Cases Have More Than Doubled Among Active-Duty Service Members Since June 10

The rise in cases has mostly affected bases in states where cases are rising among the civilian communities.

The number of coronavirus cases among active duty military personnel has more than doubled since June 10, according to data from the Department of Defense. More than 12,520 active-duty service members have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. Currently, there are 6,493 active cases among service members. In the Air Force, cases doubled in just the last two weeks, jumping from 700 reported cases on June 15 to 1,366 on June 29. The rise in cases within the military has largely mirrored patterns across the country, with numbers on bases in Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California seeing the greatest effects. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Thomas McCaffery said hospitalization rates are still low, and claimed that the uptick was due to increased testing despite the fact that the increase has come as cases have risen across the nation.