A sailor aboard the USS Nimitz tested positive for coronavirus, marking the fourth U.S. aircraft carriers with sailors affected by the virus.
The sailor tested positive for coronavirus last week, according to three defense officials who spoke to Politico. Another sailor assigned to the aircraft carrier also reportedly tested positive with coronavirus, though they were not aboard the carrier. The carrier has been preparing to deploy from Bremerton, Wash.
To date, coronavirus cases have been reported among the crews of three other U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.
A coronavirus outbreak aboard the deployed aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt became a high profile issue in recent weeks. When cases first emerged, the USS Theodore Roosevelt flew sailors who tested positive off the ship while it was still at sea. The carrier eventually diverted from its course through the Philippine Sea to seek port in Guam and test the entire crew.
The situation for the USS Theodore Roosevelt appeared to worsen as cases aboard the ship eventually surpassed 100 and the ship’s commanding officer, Capt. Brett Crozier, issued a critical email pleading for the chance to quarantine most of its crew for up to 14 days to stop the spread of the virus. Crozier’s email eventually leaked to the news media, and raised concerns about the operational security and secrecy of the ship’s status.
americanmilitarynews.com/2020/04/report-4th-us-aircraft-carrier-hit-with-coronavirus/