Navy recalls ships, orders physical distancing on board due to COVID-19
OTTAWA — The Royal Canadian Navy is pulling a number of ships back from overseas missions and imposing strict rules around physical distancing at sea as the military prepares to respond to the pandemic.
The danger COVID-19 poses to the tightly-packed crews of naval warships was illustrated this week by an outbreak on board a U.S. aircraft carrier, which has so far seen 93 sailors test positive for the virus while hundreds more await their results.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt is now being evacuated at its base in Guam, with no word on when it will return to service.
While Canadian navy commanders want to prevent a similar outbreak on board their ships, the military is also worried about service members transmitting the novel coronavirus to communities where they are asked to respond.