SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Three sailors on the San Diego-based USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier have tested positive for the coronavirus while on deployment, the Navy said Monday.
The three sailors tested positive on Feb. 14 and haven't experienced any symptoms. Close contacts to the three service members have been identified and isolated, per Navy and CDC guidance. All those identified as close contacts have tested negative.
The Navy says that the ship is following an aggressive virus mitigation strategy, including required mask-wearing, physical distancing, and hygiene and sanitation protocols.
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The three cases mark the second outbreak of the virus on the ship after more than 1,200 sailors tested positive for COVID-19 last year. That first outbreak forced many sailors to quarantine in Guam before being allowed back onto the carrier.
According to USNI News, the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is currently operating in the Pacific. The carrier stopped in Guam from Jan. 31 through Feb. 4 for a port call and then conducted dual-carrier operations with the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group.
The Navy says the ship remains fully operational.