The coronavirus has just hit a particularly important member of the US executive. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has contracted Covid-19, the Pentagon announced on Sunday, adding that he was suffering from “mild” symptoms and would remain in quarantine at home for the next five days.
In a statement released by his ministry, Lloyd Austin said he was fully vaccinated, including with a third booster dose, “which means that the infection is much lighter than it would have been otherwise.” “Vaccines work and will remain a military medical requirement for our personnel,” added the Pentagon chief. “I continue to encourage everyone who is eligible for a booster dose to take it.”
Joe Biden seen on December 21
The Secretary of State for Defense, who will continue “as far as possible” to virtually attend working meetings, specifies that his last contact with President Joe Biden dates back to December 21, more than a week before he did start to experience symptoms, and that he had tested negative that morning.
The United States is currently going through a strong wave of Covid-19 contamination, with an average of almost 400,000 new cases per day. Several prominent members of Congress have recently announced that they have been infected.