A senior US defence official tested positive for Covid-19 after meeting last week in Washington with Lithuania's defence chief, who later also tested positive for the virus, the Pentagon said.

Spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said that the Pentagon was informed that Lithuanian Minister of Defence Raimundas Karoblis, who visited Washington on November 13, was infected with the coronavirus.

During his visit Karoblis met with the new US Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, and the secretaries of the army, navy and air force. So far Miller and the others have tested negative, AFP reported.

But Anthony Tata, who US President Donald Trump installed earlier this month to serve as undersecretary of defense for policy, also joined the meetings, and he showed positive for coronavirus in two tests.

Tata is now quarantining at home for 14 days, Hoffman said.