The Fort Sill Army base in Lawton, where new soldiers attend basic and artillery training, will limit public access amid threats of the new coronavirus.
Beginning Monday, March 16, Fort Sill will suspend guest attendance at graduation ceremonies until further notice to prevent any potential spread of COVID-19. Graduations will continue, however, and some events will be streamed online.
Base leadership also announced that graduates cannot travel by personal vehicle with their family after ceremonies. Only travel by government-issued ticket will be allowed.
As of Friday, the only known case of COVID-19 at an Oklahoma base was at Altus Air Force Base, where an airman received a presumptive positive test result. Base commander Col. Matthew Leard said the airman had limited contact with the community after returning from leave in Seattle.
The airman only visited with medical personnel after arriving on base and remains in isolation with family. Leard said that because the airman did not initially acknowledge flu-like symptoms, the first medical technician the airman came in contact with did not take appropriate precautions.
That individual is now quarantined and will remain there until cleared of symptoms.
"If we're going to have a case, this one in a lot of ways is the best case scenario," Leard said. "Right now we're postured across the installation, the family is postured, everybody who's made contact with that person is postured."
Base leadership in Altus has responded to the coronavirus threat by upgrading its Health Protection Condition and by reducing personal contact at the entrance gate to prevent transmission opportunities.
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