France on Sunday began an unprecedented operation to isolate 1,900 sailors after 50 naval personnel tested positive for COVID-19 aboard its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle.

The flagship of the French navy docked in the southern port of Toulon, after cutting short its current mission in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic by 10 days because of the outbreak.

Local authorities said a painstaking operation was now underway by land and sea to evacuate 1,900 sailors to ensure there was no risk of any further infection.

Three sailors had already been evacuated to hospital Toulon as a "precaution" before the ship docked.

All the personnel will be tested and they will then be put into isolation for two weeks, with no physical contact allowed with their families, said the spokeswoman for the regional authorities, Christine Ribbe.

"Our aim is to protect all our sailors and also their families with an unprecedented deployment," she added. Only once the isolation period is over will the sailors be allowed home.

From Tuesday, the ship itself will also be the subject of a major disinfection operation.

More than 10% of US carrier's crew test positive for virus: Navy
Washington (AFP) April 12, 2020 - More than 10 percent of the 4,800 crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Navy said Saturday, days after the navy chief resigned over his mishandling of the outbreak.

"92 percent of the TR crew have been tested. As of today, 550 were positive, 3,673 were negative," a US Navy spokesman told AFP.

The spokesman said 3,696 have been moved to hotels and barracks available on Guam, where the ship has been docked since its former captain blew the whistle on the outbreak, igniting a public standoff with the Pentagon that culminated in the resignation of US Navy Secretary Thomas Modly on Tuesday.

Modly stepped down five days after removing the Roosevelt's captain, Brett Crozier, for writing a letter -- that was leaked to the media -- describing the virus-struck vessel's dire situation and alleging the Pentagon was not paying adequate attention to it.

The removal of Crozier, respected in the military and popular with his crew, was seen as heavy-handed and decided too quickly, before an investigation was carried out.

A navy veteran with a spotless career, Crozier had written a letter to his superiors in late March complaining of an uncontrolled COVID-19 outbreak among the Roosevelt's crew, and called on the Pentagon to allow him to vacate the nuclear-powered ship and sterilize it.

"The spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating," Crozier wrote. "We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die."

The letter was published by the San Francisco Chronicle, a leak Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Modly insinuated was deliberate and violated the Pentagon's chain of command.

Modly sparked outrage Monday after he flew from Washington to Guam, where the warship is docked, to defend his actions to the crew in a forceful, profanity-laced speech in which he accused Crozier of "betrayal".

Hours later, back in Washington, Modly issued an apology, but President Donald Trump publicly questioned Crozier's treatment and said he would get directly involved.

Modly "resigned of his own accord," Esper has said.

Related Links
Naval Warfare in the 21st Century

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Huntington Ingalls receives $1.5B modification for LPD-31
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 03, 2020
Huntington Ingalls received a $1.5 billion contract modification this week for construction of the LPD-31 amphibious transport dock, the Pentagon announced Friday. The contract announcement confirms a statement from the Navy's Assistant Secretary for Research, Development and Acquisition, who said earlier this week that some large Navy contracts would be accelerated to mitigate disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a conference call with reporters Wednesday James "Hondo" Geurts ... read more