Health & Fitness
Positive Coronavirus Test Reported At Naval Station Great Lakes
A civilian employee is among dozens of new COVID-19 cases reported by the Navy this week on its bases and ships.
NORTH CHICAGO, IL — A civilian employee at Naval Station Great Lakes tested positive for the new coronavirus, the Navy announced Wednesday. People found to have been in close contact with the person were quarantined and are being monitored, according to a release.
Military health professionals are working to find out if anyone else may have been exposed to COVID-19, the disease caused by the newly emerged strain of coronavirus that reached pandemic status earlier this month.
Over 35,000 recruits train every year at the Great Lakes base. Since March 9, the Navy has barred visitors from its graduation ceremonies at the base, which occur nearly every Friday.
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Earlier this week, the Navy announced two staff members at Lovell Federal Health Care Center had tested positive for COVID-19.
They included an active duty sailor assigned to a clinic at the Recruit Training Command and a civilian staffer at the adjacent hospital. At least one veteran who received treatment at the emergency room has also tested positive for the coronavirus, according to federal officials.
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The hospital has implemented increased screenings and tightened visitor restrictions in an effort to limit potential COVID-19 transmission.
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Other than the Great Lakes case, Navy officials announced Wednesday they had identified 16 additional COVID-19 cases among sailors and civilian staff on Wednesday and 34 on Thursday.
According to Thursday's release, the Navy's latest confirmed coronavirus cases include 17 sailors on board a ship in the Pacific and the sailors stationed in Japan, Italy and Spain.
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