Fort Campbell is closing schools on its installation and banning soldiers from traveling more than 80 miles outside the post, among several measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Army installation leaders in a Facebook live-stream Monday evening answered questions from those in the military community about the Army’s response to the virus. Commanders said 14 people on the post were tested for coronavirus; 11 tests are negative and three are pending.
Maj. Gen. Brian Winski, commandeer of Fort Campbell and the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), said the 80-mile travel limit will still allow soldiers to visit cities like Paducah and Nashville, while also restricting movement in a way that has slowed down coronavirus outbreaks elsewhere in the world.
“When you look at what stemmed the tide in Daegu, [South] Korea, and is starting to stem the tide in northern Italy, it stops people from moving and spreading it out,” Winski said. “To turn that mountain of medical emergencies into more of a gentle slope.”
Winski said some soldiers are being quarantined in a barracks building after traveling because of travel to regions with current coronavirus outbreaks. Soldiers are monitored there until the end of a 14-day quarantine period.
Commanders said a decision will be made toward the end of the month regarding whether or not school closures will continue. Guests are still allowed on the base. All scheduled surgeries at Blanchfield Community Army Hospital will also continue.
“I think it’s important to acknowledge that this is uncharted territory for all of us,” Barker said. “‘Business as usual,’ we can’t do in this environment.”
(This story first ran on WKMS, the public radio station at Murray State University.)
Liam Niemeyer is a reporter for the Ohio Valley Resource covering agriculture and infrastructure in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia and also serves Assistant News Director at WKMS. He has reported for public radio stations across the country from Appalachia to Alaska, most recently as a reporter for WOUB Public Media in Athens, Ohio. He is a recent alumnus of Ohio University and enjoys playing tenor saxophone in various jazz groups.
