The Third Crew of French Aircraft Carrier Infected With Coronavirus

About a third of the nearly 2,000 crew members of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Department of Defense said Wednesday.

The ministry said 1,767 crew members had been tested, and results showed that at least 668 of them were infected with the new coronavirus. The results of the other tests have not yet been received.

The French aircraft carrier entered the home port of Toulon two weeks earlier than expected on Sunday. The ship returned early when it was found that about 50 crew members were showing signs of the coronavirus.

Of the infected sailors, 31 are in hospital and one in intensive care.

Charles de Gaulle left for the Eastern Mediterranean on January 21 to support French military operations against Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria, before leaving for the Atlantic and then the Baltic for exercises.

The aircraft carrier, which carries helicopters and fighter jets, was accompanied by two frigates.