US Navy ship stranded in Guantanamo Bay with coronavirus outbreak

Some infected members are showing mild symptoms, but the crew are fully vaccinated

The USS Milwaukee is stranded in port at Guantanamo Bay after a Covid outbreak (US Navy/Aaron Lau)

A Covid-19 outbreak onboard the USS Milwaukee has forced the ship to remain in port at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay.

An unspecified number of the 105-person crew tested positive for Covid-19 and are isolating away from the rest of the crew.

In a statement, the Navy said the crew was fully vaccinated and several sailors were showing mild symptoms.

Booster shots are not yet mandatory for naval personnel, but are recommended, a spokeswoman added.

Commanders have imposed a mask mandate onboard the the Freedom-class combat ship.

It is not yet known how long the ship will have to remain in port for.

The USS Milwaukee departed from its home base in Mayport, Florida, on 14 December for scheduled deployment to the US 4th Fleet area of operations.

A press release announcing its departure said it would be supporting drug trafficking operations in the Caribbean.

In April 2020, 600 crew from the USS Theodore Roosevelt were diagnosed with Covid-19 while on patrol in the Pacific Ocean.

Its captain Brett Crozier was fired after a letter he wrote asking that crew be taken ashore for treatment was leaked to the media.

Mr Crozier was later reinstated.