Two months after the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the vessel is preparing to redeploy -- despite an increasing number of sailors with the virus.
Last month, the crew of the USS TR was removed from the vessel and lodged in temporary facilities on Guam so 100 percent of the crew could be tested and the ship could be sanitized. The total number of COVID-19 cases among the 4,800-member crew grew to exceed 1,000 before the Navy stopped publicly sharing information regarding the virus's progress through the crew.
Navy says no more USS TR, USS Kidd COVID-19 updates
Now, with the crew returned to the ship, the USS TR is conducting "fast cruise" pre-deployment simulations in preparation to return to sea operations. But 15 of the sailors who recently returned to the vessel have now tested positive for the virus.
All 15 have been removed from the USS TR in what the Pentagon is calling its "quick response process."
"Because of the medical testing and the medical surveillance that we've put in place, the medical crew on the ship were quickly alerted," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said during a press briefing on Friday. "They were tested. They were removed from the ship and quarantined...A process was put in place to quickly address the issue."
"It's a stubborn disease. We're learning a lot. We're taking every step possible to get the ship fully cleaned and fully ready," Hoffman added.
Despite these new cases, the USS TR still plans to be underway soon -- though perhaps without her entire crew.
"Following a successful fast cruise, the ship will commence underway training and carrier qualifications to support the air wing's return to operational readiness. During the underway the ship will leave sailors ashore that are not required for these evolutions," the USS TR's new captain Carlos Sardiello said in a statement.
The Navy has outpaced all other branches of the Armed Forces since the Department of Defense began reporting COVID-19 outbreaks by branch at the beginning of April.
Reach Elizabeth Howe on Twitter @ECBHowe.
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