Second Navy Warship Reports Coronavirus Outbreak While at Sea

(WASHINGTON) — Another Navy ship at sea has reported a coronavirus outbreak and is returning to port, the Navy said Friday. Navy officials said at least 18 members of the crew of a destroyer, the USS Kidd, have tested positive and it expects the number to grow. It said it is evaluating the extent of the outbreak aboard the ship. The Kidd is off the Pacific coast of Central America, where it has been operating as part of a U.S. counter-drug mission. The Navy said it has a crew of about 350. It is only the second Navy ship, among about 90 deployed around the world, to report a coronavirus outbreak at sea. The other is the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Read more: Coronavirus Has Hit the U.S. Military, and America’s Adversaries Are Seeking Advantage One sailor who displayed symptoms was flown off the Kidd on Thursday to a medical facility at San Antonio, where he tested positive for the virus. After the positive case was confirmed at San Antonio, the Navy deployed a specialized medical team to the ship to conduct contact tracing and additional onsite testing. “The first patient transported is already improving and will self-isolate. We are taking every precaution to ensure we identify, isolate, and prevent any further spread onboard the ship,” said Rear Admiral Don Gabrielson, commander U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet. “Our medical team continues coordinating with the ship and our focus is the safety and well-being of every Sailor.&r...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Military News Desk wire Source Type: news