Navy Captain William Urban, a CENTCOM spokesman, revealed that almost 30 US military personnel were infected with coronavirus after tests came back positive. He added that the COVID-19 cases are a cluster at Ahmad Al-Jaber Air Base, but did not reveal specific numbers.
Reports state that this cluster developed over time, but the US military base’s adherence to health guidelines such as social distancing and contact tracing measures helped to limit this cluster.
To contain the spread of the coronavirus, several preventative measures were undertaken including prohibition of non-essential gatherings, cancellation of force support events and changes in arrangements in dining facilities in the interest of following social distancing requirements.
Many US airmen, including the Air Force’s 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, live at the Ahmad Al-Jaber Air Base. US Central Command curtailed the movement of troops in the Middle East from moving to other countries in early March to avoid infections of the coronavirus.