Politics

Number of coronavirus cases within Defense Department doubles over the weekend

Key Points
  • The number of active-duty U.S. service members who have tested positive for the coronavirus nearly doubled over the weekend.
  • On Monday, the Pentagon reported a total of 243 known cases of the coronavirus within the Department of Defense

WASHINGTON — The number of active-duty U.S. service members who have tested positive for the coronavirus nearly doubled over the weekend from 67 confirmed cases on Friday to 133 cases on Monday, according to the latest figures provided by the Pentagon.

On Monday, the Pentagon reported a total of 243 known cases of coronavirus within the Department of Defense. Of the 243 cases, 133 are active-duty military, 44 are civilians, 35 dependents and 31 contractors. 

Over the weekend, the DOD confirmed that a contractor, who worked at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, died on Saturday after testing positive for the coronavirus. This is the first reported death from the virus within the Department of Defense.

The virus has infected more than 367,400 worldwide, though many have recovered. In the U.S. more than 41,500 cases have been reported so far.