PANDEMIC AT SEA

Two U.S. Navy Ships in Middle East Are Battling COVID-19 Outbreaks

Over a dozen crew members have tested positive for coronavirus aboard the USS Philippine Sea and the USS San Diego.

Two U.S. Navy ships in the Middle East are dealing with coronavirus outbreaks, forcing some sailors to quarantine aboard their vessels, ABC News reported. Twelve crew members on the USS San Diego tested positive for COVID-19 as well as several crew members aboard the USS Philippine Sea. Both ships docked in Bahrain in order to quarantine staff with infections or suspected infections. “Medical health professionals are conducting a thorough contact investigation to determine the source of COVID-19 aboard the ships and whether any other personnel may have been exposed,” the Navy said in a statement. The original source of the infections is unclear, but they come on the heels of another outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt three weeks ago.