Almost all of the more than 1,000 sailors from France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier who tested positive for the coronavirus have recovered and been discharged from hospital or quarantine, the military said on Monday.

"There are only two sailors left in hospital," including one in intensive care and one under observation, said naval spokesman Eric Lavault.

Eighteen other sailors remain in quarantine.

This means that "98 percent of the positive cases from the naval group have recovered," he added.

Nearly half -- 1,081 -- of the 2,300 sailors who were aboard the carrier and support craft when the coronavirus outbreak occurred at sea tested positive for the virus.

The Charles de Gaulle came home 10 days early from a deployment in the Atlantic last month after some crew members showed coronavirus symptoms.

The infection by the virus of half the personnel aboard France's flagship navy vessel raised many eyebrows in the country, with questions focusing on how it got on board in the first place.

The military now believes that the virus spread to the ship during a stay in the port city of Brest in mid-March.

Two probes -- one medical and one by the military -- have been ordered to shed light on how it spread.

Related Links
Naval Warfare in the 21st Century

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Navy's RIMPAC 2020 exercise will be 'at-sea-only' due to COVID-19 concerns
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 30, 2020
The Navy's 27th Rim of the Pacific exercise will be an at-sea-only event this year in light of concerns about the novel coronavirus, the service announced Thursday. According to the Navy, the biennial exercise is designed to minimize shore-based contingents that typically participate. The Rim of the Pacific, which takes place in the waters surrounding the Hawaiian islands, is the world's largest international training exercise, with 26 nations participating in 2018. The event is s ... read more