47 COVID Cases Aboard USS Kidd

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 aboard the destroyer USS Kidd has risen to 47, the U.S. Navy confirmed Monday. About half of the crew has not yet been tested. 

15 symptomatic individuals have been transferred to the amphib USS Makin Island for observation. Makin Island is equipped with a full hospital facility, including ventilators and intensive care units. These resources can be life-saving in the event of a serious COVID case, but they have not yet been required for the 15 evacuees, the Navy said. Two other sailors have already been medevaced to the U.S. by helicopter for treatment. 

"I am an optimist, but make no mistake. [USS Kidd] is in a fight right now, against COVID and against anyone out there who might want to capitalize on what they perceive as a weakness," said Kidd's XO in a Facebook post.

USS Kidd is now headed for San Deigo, where she will disembark the majority of her crew and begin a decontamination process. 

Kidd is the second U.S. Navy warship to experience coronavirus infections at sea, following the large-scale outbreak aboard the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt last month. The carrier is currently in port at Guam, and the majority of her crew have disembarked in order to serve out a quarantine period on shore.

On Monday, one month after the Roosevelt's outbreak began, the Navy announced that 100 percent of her crewmembers have finally been tested. 969 sailors out of about 4,800 (roughly one in five) have returned positive results.

The Navy currently has about 1,660 confirmed coronavirus cases among its servicemembers, including one fatality and seven hospitalizations.