The U.S. Navy has confirmed three new cases of coronavirus among members of its special operations community stationed at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, bringing their total to four.
Three Naval Special Warfare first-class petty officers tested positive with coronavirus on Saturday, according to an emailed statement provided to American Military News. Another Naval Special Warfare member was also tested for coronavirus, though their results came back negative.
The three new cases come just two days after the first Naval Special Warfare member, a second-class petty officer, tested positive with coronavirus on Thursday. The three subsequent cases come as Navy officials placed personnel who had close contact with the first coronavirus case into quarantine.
All four special warfare sailors are now in isolation and other personnel who had contact with those sailors were also being isolated and monitored in accordance with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
U.S. Navy Special Warfare includes U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant Craft crewmen (SWCC) and other support ratings.
“Naval Special Warfare will not provide or confirm the rate of any of the four petty officers who tested positive for COVID-19 in support of operational security,” Naval Special Warfare command spokesman Lt. Matthew Stroup said in the emailed statement.
“U.S. Special Operations Command and the Navy are committed to taking every measure possible to protect the health of our force,” the statement continued. “We remain in close coordination with local agencies, base tenant commands, and public health authorities to ensure the well-being of our personnel and the local community.”
