Analysis / Covid-19

Covid-19 Response Update: December 11-December 18

Combating Covid-19 Series

This is CSIS’s weekly roundup of major updates on the military and the novel coronavirus since Friday, December 11. It explores what the military has done to combat Covid-19 and how the military has in turn been affected by the virus.

New Department of Defense (DoD) cases of Covid-19 rose slightly over the past week, with the 7-day average increasing by 3 percent to 1,584 new cases. Deaths rose by 9 over the past week to reach 160 as of this Friday, December 18.

Major Updates

  • December 15: DoD begins to roll out new Covid-19 vaccinations.
    • First responders, personnel security forces, and military healthcare workers at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA are among the first DoD personnel to receive vaccines.
    • The Naval Hospital Jacksonville, FL also received Covid-19 vaccines and will be distributed on a voluntary basis, prioritizing healthcare workers and public safety personnel.
  • December 17: More military recruiters are reporting to have contracted Covid-19, coinciding with rising cases across the country.
  • December 17: Medical personnel from the Navy Rapid Rural Response Team have deployed  to the Navajo Nation Reservation at the request from the Depart of Health and Human Services and Indian Health Service.

Military Cases of Covid-19

How DoD cases have been trending over time is broken down below, by new cases; total cases; active cases in the DoD; and across the military services.

Methodological note: 1) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday totals are divided across the intervening days and weekends since DoD Covid-19 updates are only released during the work week on a M-W-F basis. 2) Adjustments were made on April 9 and April 15 when new cases where negative. These days were totaled and divided by the previous day to account for the correction. 3) DoD appeared to change the way cases were reported between April 15-Aprilt 16. A resulting spike in cases on April 16 was divided over the two prior days to account for this methodological shift.

This weekly update is made possible by the International Security Program at CSIS.

(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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