USNHO and MCIPAC host OPG

UNITED STATES NAVAL HOSPITAL OKINAWA, Japan – Okinawa Prefectural Government representatives met with Marine Corps Installations Pacific leadership and medical health professionals to discuss COVID-19 related information on Camp Foster Naval Hospital, July 15.

Testing capabilities, tracing efforts and reporting procedures of both OPG and U.S. military entities were among the many topics discussed during the meeting.

“We are genuinely open to communicating so that both the U.S. military and Okinawa government can fight the spread of COVID-19,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Neil Owens, director of MCIPAC Government and External Affairs.

Members of each party filed into the room, took their seats and went around expressing their concerns and ideas regarding Okinawa’s current COVID-19 situation. One topic of importance was the preventative measures each entity has emplaced in order to combat the spread of COVID. MCIPAC has recently enacted enhanced protective measures, which limits on-base activities and prohibits off-base activities as part of their combined efforts.

In regards to testing capabilities, U.S. Navy Capt. David Krulak, commanding officer of the United States Naval Hospital Okinawa, reassured the OPG representatives that the USNH has aggressively tested large quantities of people at once. He also expanded upon our tracing efforts, noting that the naval hospital contact-trace teams investigate asymptomatic individuals back at least 10 days in order to locate any close contacts that need testing.

“We are able to locate individuals at least 10 days back if necessary, in order to ensure that we isolate the spread of COVID-19,” said Krulak.

The parties present agreed to continue openly communicating and meeting regularly via teleconference to ensure proper protective measures are being met.

The OPG representatives, MCIPAC leadership and USNHO medical professionals all left satisfied with their plan for transparent and open communication while moving forward with mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

“We will continue to work closely to ensure the health of all people on the island” said Krulak during his closing remarks as he was met with an applause from all participants.

Additional resources about COVID-19 and the status of on-base and other services are available at: https://www.iiimef.marines.mil/Coronavirus/.