The navy reported more than a dozen COVID-19 cases among service members aboard a warship in the Middle East on Friday, with several people possibly infected on another ship.
The military branch reported the outbreak of coronavirus aboard the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego in a press releaseand added that he also identified a number of persons under investigation ‘on the guided missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea.
The Navy added that medical personnel are conducting contact detection to determine the origin of the outbreak on the ships.
The USS San Diego is currently moored in Bahrain, and the Navy explained that all “positive cases on board have been isolated, and that the ship remains in a confined COVID bubble.”
Meanwhile, the Navy said it would not disclose the location of the USS Philippine Sea “due to operational safety,” adding that it was “expected to move to the port to conduct further tests for anyone possibly exposed” and provide rapid testing capabilities and medical treatment centers, as needed. ”
The navy explained that people identified as close contact with the infected service members on board the ship were isolated while complying with the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Ministry of Health in Bahrain.
“US 5th Fleet is committed to taking every possible measure to protect the health of our force,” the Navy added Friday. “While the health and well-being of our personnel is a priority, we remain ready to support the US Central Command Mission and our regional and coalition partners.”
The new infections come just over a week after the navy reported three COVID-19 cases among sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which became the center of a massive coronavirus outbreak last year.
The outbreak last year was the largest the military has seen since the start of the pandemic. More than 1,200 crew members on board the ship tested positive for COVID-19, with all 4,800 crew members sent ashore to Guam for weeks to be quarantined.