Adm. Michael Gilday, the chief of naval operations, will self-quarantine for several days after he had contact with a family member who tested positive for the coronavirus, a U.S. official told CNN on Sunday.
This explains why Gilday did not attend the White House meeting with President Donald Trump on Saturday, which included all of the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff except for Gilday and the chief of the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Joseph Lengyel.
"Lengyel tested positive for COVID Saturday afternoon, but a subsequent test Saturday was negative,” a Defense Department spokesman said. “He will undergo a third test Monday morning to confirm his negative status."
Gilday, who tested negative on Friday for the coronavirus, has had a higher profile recently as the Navy tried to halt the spread of coronavirus, especially when the pandemic hit the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
The outbreak aboard that aircraft carrier led to the controversial firing of Capt. Brett Crozier and the resignation of the acting Navy Secretary.
Gilday has recommended that Crozier be reinstated following an initial probe, US officials told CNN.