Covid-19 Response Update: February 19-February 26
Combating Covid-19 Series
This is CSIS’s weekly roundup of major updates on the military and the novel coronavirus since Friday, February 19. 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 decreased over the past week, with the 7-day average decreasing by 27 percent to 818 new cases as of February 26. This decrease indicates that, although DoD has had recent sporadic spikes in new cases, the department’s cases appear to be falling along similar lines as the broader U.S. population. Deaths rose by 11 this past week, reaching 297 as of Friday, February 26.
Major Updates
- February 19: After three sailors aboard the USS Roosevelt tested positive for Covid-19 on February 14, the Navy has tested a further 900 crew members and has found no additional positive cases.
- February 24: U.S. military personnel began assisting with Covid-19 vaccine distribution centers in Texas and New York and are planned to start assisting with centers in Florida and Philadelphia next week. This is part of the Pentagon’s wider effort to ramp up to 100 vaccination teams around the country.
- February 25: DoD requires $11 billion in supplemental funding to offset pandemic-related costs for defense contractors, according to joint testimony submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee. If Congress does not provide this supplemental funding, DoD will be required to take the funds from modernization and military readiness accounts.
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)