The crew of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is being quarantined for 27 days before heading out to sea as a precaution against spreading coronavirus among the crew, The Washington Times reports.
The measure is almost double the 14 days recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and comes as two Navy ships have been hit hard by COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. On the USS Theodore Roosevelt, at least 955 members have tested positive, with one fatality. The USS Kidd has had 47 crew members test positive.
"Dealing with the challenges of the COVID pandemic has been difficult, so I’m very pleased that our mitigation efforts have put us in a position to get underway," Capt. Max Clark said in a press release.
"I give the crew all the credit. From the beginning, they have done all that I and Navy leadership have asked them to do — face coverings, social distancing, continuous ship sanitization, testing and periods of quarantine; all executed with precision and professionalism," Clark said.
All 5,000 members of the crew have been tested for COVID-19, according to the Times.
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