Space Force’s second-in-command tests positive for coronavirus

Gen. David Thompson, the Space Force’s vice chief of space operations, has tested positive for COVID-19, the Air Force announced Wednesday. 

Thompson took the test after being informed that a close family member had contracted the virus, the Air Force said in a statement, adding that the Space Force official is now isolating and working from home. 

“The Department of the Air Force continues to follow established DoD [Department of Defense] and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] policies and guidelines for COVID,” the statement added. “Measures include temperature testing, social distancing to the greatest extent possible, the wearing of masks when social distancing is not possible, and contact tracing and quarantining, if needed.”

The statement did not mention if any other military personnel had recently come into contact with Thompson. 

The news comes after members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were instructed to quarantine following the coronavirus diagnosis of Coast Guard Vice Commandant Adm. Charles Ray earlier this month. 

Ray had met with members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including Chairman Mark Milley, on Oct. 2, and reported experiencing mild symptoms that weekend prior to his positive test. 

On Oct. 7, the Marine Corps announced that its assistant commandant, Gen. Gary Thomas, had contracted the infection. Thomas had attended the Joint Chiefs meeting at the Pentagon in place of Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger, who was traveling at the time.

Last week, The Associated Press reported that members of the joint chiefs were told that they could return to the Pentagon to work in accordance with CDC guidelines and after the members had multiple negative COVID-19 tests.