Major General D.A. Sims noted this past week during a Fort Riley town hall that officials on the installation continue to see an upward trend in positive COVID-19 cases on the installation, and have for more than a month.
There was an uptick in cases over the Thanksgiving holiday, but it was not as high as it could have been. "I would just applaud you on your actions, your personal mitigation over the Thanksgiving holiday to help us not a much higher mark than we could have, "said Sims.
There were some COVID-19 mitigation adjustments on post ranging from a curfew for Soldiers and dining off-post was take out only. off-post fitness facilities were also off-limits to military personnel.
Sims provided a comparison with the situation that existed in World War Two beginning with the D-Day invasion and the ensuing movement across Europe. "This is the beginning of the end, but it is the beginning. If you think back to where the 1st Infantry Division was nearly 80 years ago in the English Channel getting ready to hit the beach at Omaha, that's where we are right now. The beach at Omaha is the location we're pressing out the vaccine. But after they landed at Omaha the 1st Division had to fight across Europe before they won the war. "
Sims added with the vaccine still needing to be administered the mitigation measures must continue in place. "So just because we're starting the vaccine doesn't mean it's over. It means we're getting there. We've been on the defense now for 10 months and we are going on the offense now, and that's a big difference. " Sims added that the fight will be done as a team.