WASHINGTON — A top Pentagon official tested positive for coronavirus after meeting last week with Lithuanian Minister of Defense Raimundas Karoblis, who too tested positive for COVID-19, the Department of Defense announced. Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement late on Thursday, the department was made aware on Thursday that Karoblis “has tested positive for CoVID-19.” The minister visited the Pentagon last Friday where he met senior leaders, including Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, as well as the Secretaries of the Army, Nave ad Air Force and Retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata. “All have been tested since their meetings. Tata was tested today and has tested positive for COVID-19 on two successive tests, He will isolate at home fore he next 14 days in accordance with the Centre fro Disease Control protocols,” Hoffman said. Hoffman said in a statement that Tata met with Karoblis last Friday. Karoblis has since tested positive for Covid-19 and the Lithuanian Embassy told the Pentagon on Thursday of his infection. This is not the first time senior officials at the Pentagon have experienced a coronavirus scare. A majority of the Joint Chiefs of Staff went into quarantine and self-isolation after the vice commandant of the Coast Guard tested positive for coronavirus following a meeting of the military"s top leaders. The deputy commandant of the US Marine Corps subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus. And the No. 2 officer in the Space Force also tested positive for coronavirus after contracting it in a separate incident Tata was moved into the Pentagon"s top policy role just last week amid a slate of sweeping changes atop the Defense Department"s civilian leadership structure. He had been nominated to be under secretary of defense for policy this summer but his nomination was withdrawn because of bipartisan opposition. After the withdrawal of his nomination, Tata had been designated "the official performing the duties of the deputy under secretary of defense for policy." — Agencies