Post by andypspotter on Apr 9, 2020 19:12:46 GMT
Another US aircraft carrier has seen an outbreak of the coronavirus. Although the number of cases on the USS Nimitz is small, it is a worrying signal for the US Navy.
The crew were starting to go on board this month with the idea of remaining there in quarantine ahead of their summer deployment to the Pacific.
Another aircraft carrier - the Theodore Roosevelt - has already had to dock in Guam after a significant outbreak with over 300 of the crew testing positive. The controversy surrounding the captain’s efforts to warn his superiors of the situation cost him his job and subsequently, the job of the acting US Navy secretary who fired him.
As we have already seen on cruise liners, it is impossible to stop the spread of the virus in the confined spaces of a ship, even a massive vessel like the Roosevelt, which, with its air wing, has a crew of over 5,500. The disruption is going to significantly impact the readiness of the US carrier fleet, which even in normal times is under huge operational pressure.
The crew were starting to go on board this month with the idea of remaining there in quarantine ahead of their summer deployment to the Pacific.
Another aircraft carrier - the Theodore Roosevelt - has already had to dock in Guam after a significant outbreak with over 300 of the crew testing positive. The controversy surrounding the captain’s efforts to warn his superiors of the situation cost him his job and subsequently, the job of the acting US Navy secretary who fired him.
As we have already seen on cruise liners, it is impossible to stop the spread of the virus in the confined spaces of a ship, even a massive vessel like the Roosevelt, which, with its air wing, has a crew of over 5,500. The disruption is going to significantly impact the readiness of the US carrier fleet, which even in normal times is under huge operational pressure.