As protests for justice for George Floyd roar across the nation, it’s little surprise that they continue in a major way in Washington, D.C. As we know, 1,300 Washington, D.C. National Guard members deployed to respond to protests beside the White House. In addition to the Washington, D.C. National Guard, 3,900 additional guardsmen from 11 other states also deployed to the district. As of Tuesday, according to a National Guard spokesperson, members of the Washington, D.C. National Guard who responded to the protests have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Washington, D.C. National Guard spokesperson Air Force Lt. Col. Brooke Davis said: “We can confirm that we have had COVID-19 positive tests with the DCNG,” as reported by Impact2020.
How many confirmed positive tests were there? The spokesperson didn’t disclose a specific number. While National Guard members are supposed to head out from Washington, D.C. this Wednesday, people who have tested positive will stay until they are no longer contagious or sick, according to Davis. As reported by Impact2020, she continued: “The safety and security of our personnel is always a concern, especially in light of the COVID-19 era."
Two Nebraska National Guard members who responded to protests in Lincoln, Nebraska, have also tested positive for the virus, as reported by the Lincoln Journal Star.
In the big picture, more than 17,000 National Guard members have deployed in 23 states. As my colleague Lauren Floyd put into perspective, that’s roughly the same number of active duty troops in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.