{"id":42841,"date":"2020-03-24T15:38:22","date_gmt":"2020-03-24T15:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/03\/24\/four-coalition-members-in-afghanistan-test-positive-for-covid-19\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:04:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:04:54","slug":"four-coalition-members-in-afghanistan-test-positive-for-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/coronavirus\/2020\/03\/24\/four-coalition-members-in-afghanistan-test-positive-for-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Four coalition members in Afghanistan test positive for COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Officials with Operation Resolute Support announced Tuesday that four coalition members in Afghanistan<\/a> have tested positive for COVID-19 \u2014 the first confirmed cases of the virus among service members in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service members \u2014 whose nationalities were withheld \u2014 were \u201cnewly arrived\u201d and in a screening facility when they began to show symptoms, Resolute Support said in a press release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials said they have taken precautions to identify and quarantine individuals these service members have come in contact with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roughly 1,500 service members and civilians are living in screening facilities in Afghanistan \u201cout of an abundance of caution,” according to Resolute Support. These people are either newly arriving in Afghanistan or returning from leave, according to the release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of Tuesday, 38 Resolute Support personnel are showing flu-like<\/a> symptoms and are in isolation receiving medical care, the release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gen. Austin \u201cScott\u201d Miller, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, called on various parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to reduce violence to help slow the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been concerns that COVID-19 could slow down the departure of American troops following a Feb. 29 peace deal that calls for the full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan over 14 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. is in the process of reducing troop levels to 8,600. But screening and quarantine procedures for inbound troops could slow the drawdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\t