The head of the Reynolds Army Health Clinic at Fort Sill in Comanche County says the base lacks the supplies necessary to test as many individuals for COVID-19 as it would like.
In response to a written question about testing submitted during a Facebook Live town hall event from the Army post on Tuesday, Col. David Zinnante said the finite amount of tests have to be prioritized.
"We are doing COVID testing on post, but I think probably what you're referring to is testing with greater frequency or a larger group of people," Zinnante said. "Right now, we are testing all trainees that come to the installation, and then people that present with symptoms to our urgent care center or to the clinic. We'd love to test more people, but we simply don't have the supplies to test everybody."
Another questioner asked whether testing was required for Army personnel relocating to Fort Sill from other installations.
"It is not mandatory," Zinnante said. "Again, we will screen, and if we deem that individual needs to be tested because of symptoms or because of contacts, then we would test that individual. But it is not mandatory for all, nor do we have the testing supplies to be able to test every person who comes onto Fort Sill."
Earlier this week, the 13-year-old daughter of a Marine stationed at Fort Sill became Oklahoma's first known pediatric COVID-19 death.
"We're just still reeling from that loss," Fort Sill Commanding General Kenneth Kamper said at the town hall. "I appreciate that the entire community has really just rallied around this family. Their church is supporting them, and it's been really refreshing just to see a community wrap their arms around a family during this tragic time of loss."
"Our public health team here at Fort Sill, over Friday night, Saturday, Saturday afternoon, did conduct a robust trace team, contact team, in conjunction with Comanche County Health [Department]," Kamper said. "I'm just really proud of that entire team for working through a difficult situation, being concerned about the health and safety of welfare of everybody on post."
"I think they identified and screened over 75 different people," Kamper said. "We tested 44 people connected to that trace effort, and I think we had 42 negative results. There were two junior service members who were positive from that effort."
Kamper said that as of Tuesday the installation had confirmed 217 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, including both service members and civilians who live and work on post.
Much of the hour-long town hall consisted on reinforcing social distancing, hygiene, and face covering guidelines.
"COVID is alive and well in our country, in our region, and here at Fort Sill, also," Kamper said.
The Department of Defense has reported more than 18,000 cases of COVID-19 in the military, reports CNN.
