The Department of Defense is bracing for a potential coronavirus outbreak at the Pentagon

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The Department of Defense is bracing for a potential coronavirus outbreak at the Pentagon
The Pentagon project has been highly controversial
  • The Department of Defense is making plans for a possible coronavirus outbreak at the Pentagon, the secretary of defense said Thursday.
  • Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters that the department is looking at strategies that have proven effective for US Forces Korea, where there have only been six USFK-related infections, despite South Korea's high number of cases.
  • "We have a lot of capabilities in this building," Esper said. "Our national military command center has the capability go for weeks at a time ... if we have some type of outbreak."
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Department of Defense is planning for a possible coronavirus outbreak at the Pentagon, the world's largest office building, the secretary of defense said Thursday afternoon.

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The US has had 11 coronavirus deaths among more than 180 cases of infection. None of those infections or deaths have been close to the Pentagon, where more than 20,000 people work, but DoD wants to be prepared just in case.

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Thursday that he expects to receive a proposal next week on prevention and mitigation measures "should we have somebody come up positive or display symptoms."

"Some of the things we are considering," he told reporters, have "already proven out in US Forces Korea," where there have only been six USFK-related cases, despite South Korea being the country hardest hit by the coronavirus outside of China.

To combat the spread of the deadly virus that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, USFK has prohibited a number of off-base activities like shopping, seeing a movie, or dining out and instructed US military personnel to "avoid handshaking and unnecessary contact with others."

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Esper explained that "simple things" like wiping down doorknobs and changing the norms for social interactions and physical contact "are things we can begin now doing to try and prevent the spread." He said the department may also need to look at travel.

"There's a number of things," he added. "Those will be coming to me next week, and we should, I hope by the end of next week, start putting in some measures to address prevention."

The secretary stressed, though, that the Pentagon is a hardened structure capable of withstanding situations like this.

"We have a lot of capabilities in this building," he said.

"Our national military command center has the capability go for weeks at a time if they have to be locked down inside the building if we have some type of outbreak," Esper explained.

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"We're fully confident that we can continue to perform the functions that the Pentagon needs to perform if we have some type of outbreak in the building."

While this is not an issue yet, he said, "we want to be prepared for everything, and we're taking a variety of measures."

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