The US military has sent diagnostic equipment to test for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to 28 allied nations, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told a podcast "town hall" meeting to the armed forces at the Pentagon on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th April, 2020) The US military has sent diagnostic equipment to test for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to 28 allied nations, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told a podcast "town hall" meeting to the armed forces at the Pentagon on Thursday.
"[We have sent] diagnostic supplies to 28 partner nations across four continents," Esper said. "We have provided [other medical] equipment to Romania and Italy."
Esper said he has held phone conversations with the defense ministers of other allied nations, including those of Italy, Canada and Ukraine, on how to coordinate their armed forces' response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We will do more PPE [personal protective equipment] sharing with our partners and allies as our own production lines get up and running ... It is a global crisis and it requires a global response," he said.
Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Mark Milley told the meeting that US military capabilities and readiness to respond militarily had not been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
