Eighteen sailors have tested positive for the coronavirus aboard another Navy ship: the USS Kidd.
A sailor aboard the ship was evacuated to San Antonio, Texas, after testing positive for the virus.
“He just started medical treatment facility in San Antonio where he was tested and was unfortunately found to be positive with COVID. As a result, the Navy has using lessons learned from other cases," Jonathan Hoffman, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs said.
Within 24 hours, a medical team was deployed to the ship and found 17 others were also positive.
“That medical crew on the on the ship right now has been conducting contact tracing has been working to isolate individuals they believe may have been exposed and take measures to protect the crew,” Hoffman said.
Once the ship returns to port in the U.S., the crew will clean and disinfect the USS Kidd to prepare it for its next mission out at sea. But the Navy has not yet revealed where or when it will be docked.
