22 September
Israel’s Defence Secretary Benny Gantz has instructed the military to construct a field hospital to help deal with the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the country. In a statement, the defence ministry was quoted by The Times of Israel as saying: “Gantz has ordered staff to begin preparations to build an army field hospital that would contain about 200 beds.” Details about when the construction will complete, and the facility will begin taking in patients have not been disclosed.
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Madrid regional government chief Isabel Diaz Ayuso has asked the Spanish Army for support amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in the region. Isabel Diaz Ayuso was quoted by Reuters as saying: “We need help from the army for disinfection…and to strengthen local police and law enforcement.” Several thousands of soldiers have helped fight and contain the pandemic during the peak of the first wave of the outbreak.
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen has announced the cancellation of Arctic Lock, a large-scale international military exercise due to Covid-19. Scheduled for next year, the exercise would have seen the participation of 20,000 troops from 13 countries, as well as NATO and EU observers. The country’s Foreign and Security Policy Committee has planned to conduct a national exercise with 15,000 troops. Kaikkonen was quoted by AFP as saying: “International exercises are important, but in this situation, it is even more important to keep the coronavirus under control.”
