First US sailor on ship diagnosed with virus

A U.S. Navy sailor assigned to a ship at port in San Diego tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first case of its kind, the Navy said late Sunday. 

The sailor who tested positive is at home in isolation and personnel with which the individual said they had close contact have been notified and are in self-isolation at their residences.  

“None of them is aboard the ship currently. U.S. Navy ships conduct routine, daily cleanliness procedures geared toward health, wellness and the prevention of communicable disease spread,” the Navy said. 

Military health professionals are conducting an investigation to determine whether any additional personnel were in close contact and possibly exposed, and the Navy said it may take additional mitigation measures depending on their results of the investigation. 

The test is a presumptive positive and is pending confirmation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The coronavirus is rapidly spreading across the country and globe. More than 169,000 cases have been confirmed globally, including nearly 3,774 in the U.S., according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

Cities and states across the U.S. have put in place various restrictions and closures, including shutting down schools and limiting capacity at or closing bars and restaurants, to mitigate the spread of the virus. 

In other countries, such as Italy, nationwide lockdowns have been put in place as the world grapples with the deadly pandemic. According to the Johns Hopkins data, 6,513 people have died of COVID-19 globally.