A hospital crew member aboard the USNS Mercy has tested positive for COVID-19. The 1,000-bed Navy ship is at the Port of Los Angeles helping treat non-COVID patients from Los Angeles-area hospitals.

Information about the positive test was made public late Wednesday. It is not presently known where the sailor contracted the coronavirus and if any other medical personnel on the ship has been infected, said Lt. Joe Pfaff, a spokesman for the Mercy.

U.S. Navy sailors continued treating patients aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy, which remained deployed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo)

U.S. Navy sailors continued treating patients aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy, which remained deployed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo)

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U.S. Navy sailors continued treating patients aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy, which remained deployed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo)



U.S. Navy sailors treat patients aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy, which remained deployed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo)

“When someone tests positive there is an investigation about where they could have gotten it and if they’ve been in contact with anyone else,” Pfaff said. “That is going on right now.”

The sailor was to be taken off the ship to a military medical facility and will be kept in isolation. The sailor was expected to self-monitor for symptoms. Other crew members who were in contact with the infected sailor will be isolated, and disembark the ship for further monitoring. Their temperature will be taken daily and they will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms.

The crew member has not been in contact with patients, Lt. Andrew Bertucci, a Navy spokesman on board the Mercy, said.

“The ship is following protocols and taking every precaution to ensure the health and safety of all crew members and patients on board,” Bertucci said. “The hospital ship follows infection control procedures, just as any civilian hospital ashore.”

The positive test won’t affect the Mercy’s ability to receive and treat patients, Pfaff said.

Since the Mercy arrived in the Port of Los Angeles on March 27, it has treated 30 patients. As of Wednesday, there were 12 patients still on the ship.

All patients aboard the Mercy were tested at area hospital for COVID before being transferred to the ship, Pfaff said.

“We are still following the original agreement to be a pressure release for area hospitals and take non-COVID patients,” he said.

News of the positive case follows reports of a sailor on the USNS Comfort, now in dock in New York City harbor, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, April 6.

Unlike the Mercy, the Comfort is now taking patients from New York City hospitals who test positive for COVID-19.