A member of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare community tested positive with coronavirus at a Navy base in Washington state Thursday.
The sailor, identified only as a petty officer second-class, was stationed at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor when the coronavirus test results came back positive, Naval Special Warfare command spokesman Lt. Matthew Stroup said in an emailed statement to American Military News.
U.S. Navy Special Warfare includes the U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant Craft crewmen (SWCC) and other support ratings. When asked for comment, Stroup declined to identify the sailor by their service ratings, citing operational security concerns.
The sailor in question was subsequently isolated on base, in accordance with guidelines from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the statement read. Other members of the special operations group have also been quarantined as a precautionary measure.
“U.S. Special Operations Command and the Navy are committed to taking every measure possible to protect the health of our force,” the Naval Special Warfare statement reads. “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.”
Washington has been one of the states most heavily impacted with coronavirus cases and has seen the highest number of fatal cases among any U.S. state thus far, with 78 coronavirus related deaths, according to according to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracking map.
Three U.S. Navy sailors aboard three separate ships, including the USS Ralph Johnson out of Everett, have also tested positive for coronavirus. Those three sailors and other personnel they came in contact with have also been isolated.
The U.S. Navy has made other recent efforts to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Last week, the service implemented a new rule barring guests from attending Navy boot camp graduation ceremonies.
