The BBC have confirmed an outbreak of COVID-19 has occurred on HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, which is currently on deployment in the Indian Ocean as part of a world tour.
According to the report, several other ships are said to be also affected. Around 100 cases are said to be active on the ship, which according to Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, are being ‘managed’.
Questions remain as to how and why so many sailors have become infected. According to James Heaphy, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, a 100% COVID vaccination rate was achieved for the Royal Navy’s carrier strike fleet in June 2021 (Citation: House of Commons Debate, 23 June 2021, c868).
Image Credit: Petty Officer Photographer Jay Allen. OGL 3
