© Kham/ReutersFILE PHOTO: The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is pictured as it enters the port in Da Nang, Vietnam, March 5, 2020. REUTERS/Kham/File Photo
Three sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for the coronavirus, Navy officials said Monday, marking the second outbreak on the ship within a year.
The sailors were not experiencing any symptoms and are currently isolated aboard the ship along with people they have been in close contact, the Navy said in a statement. None of the people in close contact had tested positive, the service said.
"The ship is following an aggressive mitigation strategy in accordance with Navy and CDC guidelines to include mandatory mask wearing, social distancing, and proper hygiene and sanitation practices," the Navy statement said. "U.S. Pacific Fleet is committed to taking every measure possible to protect the health of our force. USS Theodore Roosevelt is currently underway and remains fully operational."
The positive cases come less than a year after the Theodore Roosevelt was crippled by hundreds of positive cases, one of which proved fatal for a sailor. The outbreak prompted the ship's commander, Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, to plead with the service for more assistance. Navy officials soon removed Crozier from command, prompting an outcry.
The Theodore Roosevelt has recently been carrying out operations alongside another aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, in the South China Sea.