Army’s top general tests positive for coronavirus, experiencing ‘mild symptoms’ – Stars and Stripes

Gen. James C. McConville, Army chief of staff, promotes Pfc. Jeslyam Martinez-Morales, a soldier assigned to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division, from private first class to specialist during McConvilles visit to Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., on March 23, 2022. (Sgt. Robert Wormley/U.S. Army)

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The Armys top general tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday and was experiencing very mild symptoms, according to a service spokeswoman.

Gen. James McConville, the Army chief of staff, was working remotely Monday after the positive test, said Lt. Col. Mary Ricks, his spokeswoman. She described his symptoms as seasonal allergy-like.

McConville, 63, is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and has also received two booster shots, Ricks said in a statement. A member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, McConville was adhering to all federal health protocols recommended by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some 129,734 active-duty soldiers have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic swept across the globe in March 2020, according to Pentagon data.

About 97% of the services roughly 486,000 active-duty soldiers have been fully vaccinated against the virus, as of April 13, according to the services most recent data.

Army leaders had removed 255 soldiers from the service for refusing the vaccine, service officials said last week. Active-duty soldiers were required to become fully inoculated against the coronavirus by December, but the service did not begin removing active-duty soldiers from the Army until last month.

Meanwhile, the service has granted 22 permanent medical exemptions and two religion-based exemptions for soldiers seeking to remain in the Army without taking the shots. The service has denied 661 medical exemptions requests and 808 religious exemption requests. Army leaders were still evaluating some 4,900 exemption requests as of last week, according to service.

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Army's top general tests positive for coronavirus, experiencing 'mild symptoms' - Stars and Stripes