LÉ James Joyce forced ashore after a number of crew contract covid
An Irish naval vessel has been forced to cut a sea patrol short and go into "quarantine" after a number of crew were diagnosed with covid.
The LÉ James Joyce had to return to the naval headquarters at Haulbowline Island, in Cork after the onboard outbreak was diagnosed by medical personnel.
It is understood up to 20 sailors onboard have already tested positive and more could follow when subsequent tests are carried out on the remainder of the crew onshore.
The navy's suffered similar lockdowns during the height of the pandemic as the close facilities on patrol ships meant the virus spread rapidly among crews.
In the early days of covid, the crews of LÉ Ciara — which has since been decommissioned and is due to go to the scrap yard — and the more modern LÉ William Butler Yeats, had to be called ashore because of the virus.
The Defence Forces press office confirmed last night that “a number” of personnel onboard the LÉ James Joyce had tested positive for the covid virus during the past week.
