USS Ronald Reagan Sailors Tested Positive
“O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away” Hosea 6:4
‘Small number’ of USS Ronald Reagan sailors have tested positive for coronavirus, Navy says
By CAITLIN DOORNBOS | STARS AND STRIPES: September 4, 2020
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — A “small number” of sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan tested positive for the coronavirus while underway last week, 7th Fleet spokeswoman Cmdr. Reann Mommsen confirmed on Friday to Stars and Stripes.
The sailors tested positive on Aug. 27, received immediate medical treatment and were taken off the ship, she said in an email. None were hospitalized.
“There are currently no positive COVID sailors aboard USS Ronald Reagan,” Mommsen said. COVID-19 is the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
“An investigation is underway to determine the source of infection,” Mommsen said. “The Reagan crew has worked extremely hard to minimize the risk of infection onboard since they deployed more than three months ago.”
The aircraft carrier made a brief port visit to Guam on Aug. 22-26, but crewmembers were not allowed to leave designated areas on the pier and a secured beach at Naval Base Guam to prevent exposure to the virus, according to a Navy statement from Aug. 21.
The 7th Fleet has conducted five “safe haven” liberty port visits for deployed ships this year as the Navy keeps ships at sea longer to avoid coronavirus exposure, according to the statement.
“With the exception of a few mandatory personnel to ensure the ship’s safe arrival, there will be no interaction with any personnel outside the designated liberty areas,” the Navy said about the Reagan’s visit. “For the docking process, all COVID mitigations will be in place to include social distancing, masks, gloves and minimal interactions.”
A coronavirus outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt in March sidelined the aircraft carrier for more than a month in Guam. Meanwhile, the Navy disembarked, isolated and tested crewmembers and sanitized the ship. More than 1,150 Roosevelt sailors tested positive in that outbreak, one of whom died.
“The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle” Psalm 78:9
Joel Huan
The Mystery of Ephraim 