After the discovery of coronavirus-infected sailors on the American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the ship’s command imposed quarantine restrictions, which may affect combat effectiveness.

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According to Stars and Stripes, the fact of infection was confirmed by the official representative of the US naval aviation in the Atlantic, Jennifer Cragg.

“Precautions are being taken for the approximately 2,700 crew members currently onboard the aircraft carrier, including physical distancing, restrictions on group gatherings, personal protective equipment, and intensive cleaning,” Cragg said.

According to her, the coronavirus was recorded in “a small number” of sailors onboard the aircraft carrier, who was placed in isolation. USS Gerald R. Ford commanders “take crew safety very seriously, take all precautions and adhere to all established protocols to protect crew members,” the spokeswoman said.

The US Navy experienced a severe COVID-19 outbreak this spring on the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier. More than 1,200 crew members were infected there, one person died. The ship was docked for several weeks in a port on Guam in the Pacific Ocean.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is the main ship of the same name of the US Navy, which is to replace the aircraft carriers of the class “Nimitz” and “Enterprise”. It was officially introduced into service in July 2017, and the new aircraft carrier has a service life of 50 years. Unlike other American aircraft carriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford was designed as one of the largest ships with the ability to provide the landing of combat drones. The carrier’s home port is located in Norfolk, Virginia.