Portsmouth's HMS Queen Elizabeth sailing postponed to test crew for Covid-19

The planned sailing of aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has been postponed to allow Covid-19 testing for the ship's company.

The Royal Navy warship had been expected to depart Portsmouth Naval Base for a period of sea training at the start of next week.

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A spokesman for the service confirmed that the departure would be delayed by 48 to 72 hours for the 700-strong crew to be tested. He explained that once the ship had sailed, it would spend a period in quarantine to ensure all of the crew were clear of the virus.

The move comes after shadow defence secretary John Healey called for the military to be tested and for large-scale training exercises to be postponed to protect personnel.

His call comes after more than 600 members of the crew of a French aircraft carrier and accompanying vessels tested positive for coronavirus, while the US navy said a sailor who tested positive for Covid-19 on the USS Theodore Roosevelt has died.

The Navy spokesman said: "In addition to an isolation period at sea, the Royal Navy is now making use of spare NHS testing capacity to test the crew of HMS Queen Elizabeth prior to sailing. This will necessitate a short but manageable delay in sailing."

The Royal Navy is now making use of spare NHS testing capacity to test the crew of HMS Queen Elizabeth prior to sailing Credit: ITV Meridian
700-strong crew is to be tested

Defence secretary Ben Wallace told MPs on Wednesday that he had given all ships captains in the Royal Navy full authority to return to port, come alongside or evacuate if they had an outbreak on board.

He said: "In the case of Queen Elizabeth, I have spoken to the captain directly myself and said we will not judge you, we will not think any the worse of you if when you are at sea you feel the need to come back because of a crew outbreak.

  • John Healey MP, Shadow Defence Secretary

Once the ship had sailed, it would spend a period in quarantine to ensure all of the crew were clear of the virus

The Queen Elizabeth is due to sail for a period of sea training and carrier training around the UK to help prepare it to be in a position to declare carrier strike capability later this year ahead of its first deployment planned for early 2021.

The spokesman added: "HMS Queen Elizabeth is sailing to conduct operational sea training, required as preparation for further training later this year and which together will ensure that she is ready for deployment in 2021.