A US Navy sailor stationed at the Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba has tested positive for coronavirus — the first person at the notorious military facility to contract the virus, the base said in a statement.
The unidentified sailor has been isolated at the base and their movement restricted to prevent the spread of the virus, officials from the base added.
“Contact tracing performed by public health officials is also underway,” they added.
The Navy is also screening all individuals before they enter the base and cancelling a number of scheduled events to contain the virus.
“For the foreseeable future, this is not ‘business as usual’ aboard the installation. However, we will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our residents and the performance of our mission, and will ensure that those imperatives endure,” base officials wrote.
The base has a population of about 6,000 people, including about 2,000 laborers from nearby Caribbean countries and other military personnel.
Some 40 prisoners are still locked up in the base’s military prison.
