Wright-Patterson Air Force Base officials say strict safety protocols have kept COVID-19 rates relatively low on the base. Michael Crowder, Public Health Emergency Official at Wright-Patt, said at a virtual town hall this week the positivity rate on-base is much lower than in nearby areas.
“The percentage of positive cases tested on Wright-Patterson is very low compared to our outside communities. It’s about 3 or 4 times lower than the outside communities,” he said.
The precautions being taken at Wright-Patterson include mandatory mask-wearing, physical distancing, and limits on group gatherings. Base Commander Patrick Miller says most coronavirus cases are coming from off-base activities.
“We continue to see the majority of our cases as they continue to rise with transmissions originating off the installation," he said. "That may be you going to see a loved one who’s COVID positive, you going to someone's house for a small gathering to watch a football game or spend time together, because we wanna get back to that normalcy.”
Miller says if coronavirus numbers continue to rise on-base, stricter health measures may be taken.