GUANTANAMO, Cuba — A US Navy littoral combate ship based in Mayport is having to stay in port at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
According to the US Navy, the USS Milwaukee left its base in Mayport on Dec. 14 for its regularly scheduled deployment to the US 4th Fleet area of opeations. When it departed, the entire crew was immunized with the COVID-19 vaccine.
The sailors that have tested positive for COVID-19 are isolated on board the ship, the Navy reported. While some have experienced mild symptoms, the Navy did not report any serious cases.
"The vaccine continues to demonstrate effectiveness against serious illness," The Navy said in a statement. "The ship is following an aggressive mitigation strategy in accordance with the Navy and CDC guidelines."
It is unclear which variant has spread among the crew, however the Navy is working on contact tracing.
The USS Milwaukee was deployed to support to 4th Fleet to support counter drug trafficking operations.