WASHINGTON (AP) – Another US Navy ship on the high seas has reported an outbreak of coronavirus on board and is returning to port, the military force said on Friday.
A Navy statement said at least 18 crew members of the destroyer USS Kidd tested positive for the presence of coronavirus and the number is expected to increase. He added that he is evaluating the extent of the outbreak on the ship.
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Kidd is in the Caribbean, where he operated as part of an anti-drug mission.
A sailor who showed symptoms was airlifted Thursday to a medical facility in San Antonio, where he tested positive for the virus.
After confirmation of the case in San Antonio, the Navy sent a specialized medical team to the ship to conduct contact tracking and additional tests on board.
âThe first patient transported is already improving and will voluntarily isolate himself. We are taking every precaution to ensure that we identify, isolate and prevent further spread on the ship, âsaid Rear Admiral Don Gabrielson, commander of the US Southern Command and 14th Fleet naval forces. “Our medical team continues to coordinate with the ship and our focus is on the safety and well-being of each sailor.”
The Navy said the Kidd will return to port, where the crew will continue to clean and disinfect the ship, following the protocols of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and specific guidelines for the army.
The Navy continues to deal with another coronavirus outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is anchored in Guam and has more than 800 confirmed cases of the virus.
