SAN DIEGO (March 23, 2020) Sailors remove the lines off the ballard as Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) prepares to depart Naval Base San Diego. Mercy is deploying in support of the nations COVID-19 response efforts, and will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals. This allows shore base hospitals to focus their efforts on COVID-19 cases. One of the Department of Defenses missions is Defense Support of Civil Authorities. DOD is supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal agency, as well as state, local and public health authorities in helping protect the health and safety of the American people. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Mora Jr./Released)
The Department of Defense has provided the following update on the status of COVID-19 response and cases as of Tuesday, March 24, 2020:
