7 sailors on the hospital ship Mercy test positive for COVID-19

The USNS Mercy.
(Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The COVID-19 coronavirus is spreading through the crew of the USNS Mercy, with seven sailors testing positive as of Tuesday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Cmdr. John Fage, a 3rd Fleet spokesman, told the newspaper that the sailors and people who came into close contact with them have all left the ship and are now in quarantine. The Mercy arrived at the Port of Los Angeles on March 27 from San Diego, in order to treat local patients who do not have COVID-19. Fage said the outbreak has not affected the ship's ability to take on patients, and all are tested for COVID-19 before coming aboard.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.