The prospective sailor is now isolated at a federal hospital outside of Chicago while the Navy is conducting a contact investigation to gauge the potential spread of the virus at the Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes.
“Personnel identified as having close contact with the recruit are being notified, placed in a restriction of movement status and tested for COVID-19 out of an abundance of caution,” the command said in statement posted on its Facebook page. “The barracks and other areas that the recruit came in contact with are being thoroughly cleaned in accordance with CDC disinfectant and sanitation guidelines.”
On Thursday, the command began a 14-day isolation period for recruits ahead of the start of training to prevent a recruit from potentially spreading the virus in the close confines of Great Lakes.
“The affected recruit arrived a week before the current policy was implemented,” the statement read. “While a positive COVID-19 test is not desirable, RTC was prepared for this situation and have both the facilities and medical support to quarantine those affected and maintain the safety of our overall Recruit Training Command force.”
The service is still moving ahead with training new sailors. The Navy trains 35,000 new sailors each year at Great Lakes and graduates about 700 a week from the seven-week training.
“Any recruit with a positive COVID-19 test, or who is isolated due to potential exposure is allowed to contact their loved ones,” read the statement. “If you have not received a phone call, your recruit is still moving forward with their training curriculum.”
Earlier this month, both Great Lakes and the officer training commands canceled graduation ceremonies. The Navy has also relaxed grooming standards and encouraged remote work when possible. Still, the Navy is the hardest hit to date of all the services with COVID-19.
As of Sunday, 144 sailors had tested positive for COVID-19, according to a report from the Navy.
USNI News understands that California is among the hardest hit with new cases emerging in Japan this week. When seeking specifics, USNI News was told on Sunday a policy set by the Office of the Secretary of Defense prevented the release of individual units or regions affected by COVID-19.
The report in Great Lakes comes as some recruiters in the Marine Corps have begun to voice concerns that a COVID-19 would pose a health risk to the Marine’s boot camps in South Carolina and California.
“We are putting lives in danger en route to [boot camp], and we are taking even a bigger risk by mixing the new recruits with the recruits and permanent personnel on the depot,” a Marine recruiter told Military.com.
The following is the complete March 29, 2020 statement from Recruit Training Command.
On March 28, Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes had its first recruit test positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The recruit is currently isolated and being cared for at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) in North Chicago, IL. Military health professionals are conducting a thorough contact investigation to determine whether any other personnel may have been in close contact and possibly exposed. Personnel identified as having close contact with the recruit are being notified, placed in a restriction of movement status and tested for COVID-19 out of an abundance of caution. The barracks and other areas that the recruit came in contact with are being thoroughly cleaned in accordance with CDC disinfectant and sanitation guidelines.
Commencing on March 26, upon arrival at RTC, Great Lakes, all incoming recruits are required to complete a 14-day restriction of movement (ROM) period in which they conduct social distancing from each other and the RTC population. The affected recruit arrived a week before the current policy was implemented. While a positive COVID-19 test is not desirable, RTC was prepared for this situation and have both the facilities and medical support to quarantine those affected and maintain the safety of our overall Recruit Training Command force.
The recruits of today are the foundation of our future Navy. The continued safe training of our recruits, the transformation of citizens into sailors, is vital to the sustained security of our nation.
The Navy is committed to taking every measure possible to protect the health of our force. We remain in close coordination with state and federal authorities, and public health authorities to ensure the well-being of our personnel and the local population.
Any recruit with a positive COVID-19 test, or who is isolated due to potential exposure is allowed to contact their loved ones. If you have not received a phone call, your recruit is still moving forward with their training curriculum.
