LONDON: Britain’s Royal Navy says there’s been a coronavirus outbreak within its Carrier Strike Group, which includes its flagship carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
A spokesman for the Royal Navy says a ‘small number’ of crew within the ships on deployment have tested positive.
He adds all personnel have been fully vaccinated and there are a number of ‘mitigation measures on board,’ including masks, social distancing and a track and trace system.
The spokesman says there would be no effects on the operations tasks of the carrier group, which is about a quarter of the way through a 28-week deployment that involves visits to some 40 countries and 70 engagements.
The carrier group, which also includes a U.S. destroyer and 10 Marine Corps F35-B fighters, is currently in the Indo-Pacific region.
News of the coronavirus infections comes a day after Britain’s Ministry of Defense confirmed an investigation was being undertaken into the death of a a crew member of the Type 23 frigate HMS Kent, which is part of the carrier group.
The cause of death was not revealed.
