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NewsNearly 200 members of the National Guard deployed to Washington in the days leading up to Wednesday’s presidential inauguration have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and some officials fear cramped rest and working quarters contributed to the spread, defense officials said.
Approximately 26,000 Guard members from all 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia were deployed following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol to secure the city through the Jan. 20 inauguration.
Since Guardsmen arrived at the Capitol in the days following the attack, images have emerged of hundreds of troops inside the Capitol or other sites, sometimes close together and occasionally not wearing masks. On Thursday evening, a number of lawmakers from both parties spoke out in Twitter posts after reports that Guard members were asked to take rest breaks in a parking garage instead of indoor space.
By Nancy A. Youssef and Alexa Corse | 22 Jan 2021