Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin remains in good condition at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the Pentagon said in its latest update.
Austin, 70, has been hospitalized since Jan. 1 following a Dec. 22 surgery to treat his prostate cancer. A subsequent urinary tract infection has kept him under close watch by doctors.
“He’s in contact with his senior staff and has full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor DOD’s day-to-day operations worldwide,” Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said of Austin.
The Pentagon has not announced a release date for Austin.
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While Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks briefly took over the role, Austin continued his duties on Jan. 5. This included the decision to strike the Yemen-based, Iranian-supported Houthis after they launched 27 attacks on commercial vessels in the waterways.
This hospitalization was controversial as the DOD did not inform the White House or Congress of Austin’s condition until days after his hospitalization began.
