Destroyer USS Kidd arrives in San Diego as coronavirus cases rise

The US Navy’s coronavirus-hit guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) arrived at Naval Base San Diego on April 28.

In San Diego, medical care will be provided for Kidd’s sailors and the ship will be cleaned and disinfected.

As of Tuesday, 63% of USS Kidd crewmembers to include all who were symptomatic and their close contacts have been tested for COVID-19, with 64 total positive results.

Two sailors have been medically evacuated to the United States. Fifteen sailors were transferred to USS Makin Island (LHD 8) for monitoring due to persistent symptoms. None are in the intensive care unit (ICU) or on ventilators.

Sailors aboard Kidd are wearing appropriate PPE and N95 masks.

As informed, all sailors will be isolated off-ship with twice-daily medical screenings. Crewmembers who have tested negative will enter quarantine for a period of observation, to include daily visits from military health professionals to monitor for symptoms.

Finally, a small contingent of negative tested sailors will remain on the ship for essential services and deep-cleaning, according to the navy.

USS Kidd was at sea participating in counter-narcotics operations in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility when several sailors began exhibiting influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms.

Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet redirected the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) – with its robust medical facility, to include intensive care unit, ventilators, and additional testing capability – to rendezvous with the Kidd. On April 23, eight medical personnel arrived on board USS Kidd with an Abbott machine to begin testing the crew for COVID-19.

As navy leadership solidified plans to return the ship to port, sailors who warranted closer observation were transported from Kidd to Makin Island out of an abundance of caution. Meanwhile, the ship’s crew began intensive cleaning efforts while still underway.

USS Theodore Roosevelt coronavirus cases surge to more than 900

The US Navy also revealed that 100% of initial COVID-19 testing for sailors of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and embarked commands is complete.

Efforts are underway to test and re-man the ship.

There are currently 940 active cases and 29 recovered cases. Cases now are not counted as recovered until the sailor has had two successive negative tests, according to the navy.

One sailor assigned to USS Theodore Roosevelt is in U.S. Naval Hospital Guam being treated for COVID-19 symptoms. No sailors hospitalized for COVID-19 are in ICU.

More than a third of the US Navy’s 299 ships are currently deployed. Of the more than 90 US Navy ships at sea around the world today, none have active COVID-19 cases.

Thirteen ships that previously had one or more active cases of COVID-19 while in port have now zero cases, the navy further said.

Naval Today Staff