Two of the US military’s most senior leaders issued a stark warning Thursday that the threat from the coronavirus is still high and stressed they are preparing for a possible second wave.
“That threat is not going away any time soon,” Admiral Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, told a small group of reporters. “Nobody has a crystal ball.”
That was underscored by General David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps. “Clearly we have learned a hell of a lot from the last three, four months that we are going to apply should that happen,” Berger said. “We will be prepared for it.”
Neither officer mentioned President Donald Trump. But their comments came as the President has been pushing states to reopen and on Wednesday said the government had done “amazingly well,” despite the fact the US has the highest death toll in the world with more than 93,000 people losing their lives to the virus as of Thursday afternoon.
The military has already been impacted by the pandemic, with two major ships — the USS Roosevelt and USS Kidd — sidelined after outbreaks on board and major exercises canceled. But Gilday and Berger emphasized the Pentagon is adapting and implementing measures to mitigate any impact on military readiness.
They spoke two days after the military’s most senior leadership, the Joint Chiefs, met with Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, key members of the White House coronavirus task force. Berger said the possibility of a second wave was discussed and emphasized “there are too many unknowns from their perspective to accurately forecast.” They were also told it’s still not clear whether those who get the virus become immune to it after recovery.
