US cancels major Philippines war games due to virus
- Country:
- Philippines
The US military has canceled a large-scale exercise involving thousands of troops in the Philippines because of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision to scrap Balikatan 2020 was taken "in light of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding COVID-19 pandemic and in the best interest of the health and safety of both countries' forces", US Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Phil Davidson said.
The war games, scheduled for May 4-15, would have involved more than 10,000 troops from the two longstanding allies and a smaller contingent from Australia, according to the hosts. "We are in an extraordinary time and it's clear we would have put many people at risk had we pursued Balikatan," said Rear Admiral Adelius Bordado, the Philippines' exercise director.
The United States now has the largest number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the world while the Philippines, with limited testing, has reported around 700 cases. Among those who tested positive is Philippines military chief General Felimon Santos, the defense secretary said Friday.
The American troops who take part in Balikatan (which means "Shoulder to Shoulder" in Tagalog) usually come from bases in Japan and South Korea, which have reported coronavirus cases.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
- READ MORE ON:
- Philippines
- Rear Admiral
- Australia
- Japan
- South Korea
ALSO READ
Health News Roundup: Philippines reports H5N1 bird flu outbreak on poultry farm; Drugmaker seeks approval for China's first biosimilar Ozempic and more
Philippines reports H5N1 bird flu outbreak on poultry farm
US, Philippines, Japan to tackle South China Sea incidents in trilateral summit, says Manila official
US, Philippines, Japan to tackle South China Sea incidents in trilateral summit, says Manila official
Cooperation with South Korea, Philippines important for regional security, says Japan's Kishida