{"id":20390,"date":"2020-03-25T23:27:32","date_gmt":"2020-03-25T23:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/03\/25\/first-air-force-boot-camp-trainee-tests-positive-for-covid-19\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:31:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:31:00","slug":"first-air-force-boot-camp-trainee-tests-positive-for-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/03\/25\/first-air-force-boot-camp-trainee-tests-positive-for-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"First Air Force boot camp trainee tests positive for COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A trainee at Air Force boot camp<\/a> has tested positive for the novel coronavirus<\/a>, service officials announced Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The individual is the Air Force\u2019s first trainee to test positive for COVID-19 at the service\u2019s basic training on Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland<\/a> in Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trainee reported to basic on March 18 along with 600 other new recruits, and as a precaution, was placed in a \u201crestriction of movement\u201d status, also known as ROM, in one of a series of 40-person groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ROM phase lasts 14 days, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said. It does not, however, add any additional time to basic training. Recruits in this phase are kept geographically separated from training flights further along boot camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trainee started showing symptoms during their ROM period and was subsequently isolated from the other recruits. A viral tracing team is now looking to identify who the trainee had close contact with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trainee who tested positive will receive medical treatment and remain in isolation until the virus is gone, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile a positive COVID-19 discovery is not desirable, the good news is we planned for this and our preparations worked,\u201d Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, commander of Air Education and Training Command, said in a prepared statement. \u201cThe trainees were restricted during the incubation period and this allowed for limited exposure.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 40 other trainees from their ROM bay have all since been placed under quarantine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPractices put into place allow for the identification of COVID-19 while limiting the pool of individuals who can be infected,” Webb added. “We take preparing for worst case scenarios seriously and that planning has paid off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t