It was supposed to help relieve local California hospitals in the fight against coronavirus, but now it may have become a dangerous source of spreading the disease.
The emergency response ship USNS Mercy, docked since last month in the Port of Los Angeles, has been hit with a significant outbreak on board, with seven total crew members testing positive for COVID-19, the Navy said.
All of the infected have now been removed from the ship and put into isolation in an especially worrisome situation given the ship is geared toward housing and caring for vulnerable non-coronavirus patients to take the strain off of area hospitals.
People recently having contact with the newly positive crew members have also been put in isolation off the ship and are being monitored. In total the Mercy has 1,000 military personnel, assisted by a small civilian staff.
The Navy says the rise in infections aboard the Mercy will not stop its mission to receive medical patients: “The ship is following protocols and taking every precaution to ensure the health and safety of all crew members and patients on board,” a statement said. “This will not affect the ability for Mercy to receive patients at this time.”
It must be remembered that an entire nuclear aircraft carrier and its crew of nearly 5,000 was put out of commission off Guam last month amid a growing number of infections. The Theodore Roosevelt now has at least 585 sailors that tested COVID-19 positive, including the death of one sailor.
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6 comments:
Again, This plague isn’t going away until it kills millions in the US.
Navy ships have been hit very hard.
Why?
Ask yourself that question.
They are “employees” of the government and accept experimental vaccines. AKA guinea pigs
The biological war has begun!
A crew of 70+ and some 1200 military and civilian workers. 7 cases. They'll be quarantined onboard. This doesn't present more public risk than any other hospital in LA, so why make it seem so?
1 out of 585 aint the plague you need to wake up
Because they are all cooped up in a ship breathing the same air
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