The Navy’s top officer will be in quarantine this week after coming into contact with a member of his family who had tested positive for COVID-19, the Pentagon announced late on Sunday.
Adm. Mike Gilday initially tested negative for the virus on Friday but will remain in quarantine for at least this week, according to a statement provided to USNI News.
Gilday was absent from a Saturday meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the White House, reported CNN.
Additionally, Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen. Joseph Lengyel tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday “but a subsequent test Saturday was negative. He will undergo a third test on Monday morning to confirm his negative status,” read a statement from the Pentagon.
Over the weekend, several senior White House officials went into isolation after staff members tested positive for the virus. That included a Navy valet assigned to President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary.
The Pentagon didn’t specify where Gilday would be staying during his quarantine. He, along with other senior Navy and Marine leaders, lives in quarters at the Washington Navy Yard in Southeast Washington, D.C. USNI News understands the quarters are equipped with secure communications equipment to allow Gilday to work from home.
Last week, Gilday, acting Navy Secretary James McPherson and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russell Smith visited the Navy’s Recruit Training Command at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill.
