At least 13 sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for coronavirus for a second time, officials have told US media.
More than 1,000 troops aboard the 4,900-crew virus-stricken aircraft carrier have tested positive. The ship has been docked in Guam while sailors quarantine in local hotels.
Officials tell CNN that it remains unclear whether the 13 troops were re-infected, or if the virus remained in their blood from their first positive tests. The troops were quarantined for 14 days following their initial positive test, and were thought to be free of the virus.
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“This week, a small number of TR [Theodore Roosevelt] sailors who previously tested [Covid-19] positive and met rigorous recovery criteria have retested positive,” Navy spokesman Cmdr Myers Vasquez told Politico.
“These protocols resulted in a small number of close contacts who were also removed from the ship, quarantined and tested.”
“The ship remains on the road to recovery and will prepare to get back underway once a critical mass of crew with the required expertise is onboard,” she added.
Source: BBC
