US Navy Sailor Aboard Assault Ship Tests 'Presumptive Positive' For COVID-19

A U.S. Navy sailor assigned to a warship has tested “presumptive positive” for COVID-19, making the serviceman the first case aboard a Navy ship.

In a news release from the Naval Surface Forces Public Affairs, the sailor, who is assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, is currently quarantined at home as per the guidelines set by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.

The result is still “presumptive positive” and the U.S. Navy is waiting for a confirmation from the CDC.

Personnel that the individual identified having close contact were immediately notified and are under self-isolation at their respective residences, the release added.

It added that the USS Boxer is taking appropriate preventive measures, alongside routine cleanliness procedures to promote health, wellness and to prevent the spread of any communicable disease.

Military health professionals are investigating whether more personnel were exposed, said Business Insider.

“We remain in close coordination with state and federal authorities and public health authorities to ensure the well-being of our personnel and local population,” said the Navy in their statement.

The USS Boxer is currently in San Diego, California.

CNN meanwhile echoed a statement from the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Sunday that a second Marine stationed at a base in California has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Marine was placed in an isolated barracks room designed for quarantine, while the station is investigating others who may have been in contact with the patient and “notify them of the situation.”