Maryland National Guard guards at the US Senate. UPI=Yonhap News
Hundreds of national guards who were assigned to the inauguration of US President Joe Biden were confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), Reuters reported on the 22nd (local time). Before and after the inauguration ceremony, more than 25,000 National Guards were deployed in Washington, DC, so the number of confirmed cases is expected to increase.
On the day, Reuters cited an anonymous government official and reported that 150-200 National Guard soldiers mobilized at the presidential inauguration ceremony on the 20th were tested positive for Corona 19. This official stressed, “Compared to the number of mobilized national guards, there are not many infected people.”
The National Guard does not track COVID-19 infections individually, but it said in a statement that it has followed the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The mobilized National Guard soldiers measured their body temperature before returning to their home address, and they followed the quarantine rules faithfully upon arrival.
The National Guard expects 15,000 soldiers to leave Washington, DC and return to their address within the next 5 to 10 days. About 7,000 people will remain in charge of security maintenance until the end of this month, while the remaining 5,000 will stay until mid-March, Reuters said.
Meanwhile, the National Guard mobilized in this inauguration ceremony tripled the number compared to the inauguration ceremony of former President Trump. This is because on the 6th, protesters who supported the former President Trump broke into Congress, and violence occurred, and security at the inauguration ceremony was strengthened.
Reporter Jang Joo-young [email protected]