392 Royal Navy personnel have tested positive for Covid-19 during pandemic

Ministry of Defence figures reveal today that 1,197 servicemen and women tested positive for Covid-19 under the national testing programme.

Of those, all but 85 were in Britain with the remainder based overseas.

Figures show 392 people in the navy have had the infection during the pandemic, 611 in the army and 194 in the Royal Air Force.

As reported, a number of crew on Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth have had Covid-19.

Around 100 crew were self-isolating as a precaution in September.

Some 46,740 tests have been carried out on serving personnel, including civilian staff.

The figures are accurate as of October 23, a report said.

They show an increased number of people tested in recent months, with 4,895 in the week ending October 16.

Military planners are working out how to respond to the pandemic and hope to ‘adapt to living with Covid-19 for an extended period,’ a report accompanying the data published today said.

The report said: ‘Covid-19 will be a defining feature of the Defence operating environment for the foreseeable future.

‘As such, the Ministry of Defence has moved from the Covid Defence management plan to the COVID Defence recovery and response plan.

'This plan is to enable Defence to adapt to living with Covid-19 for an extended period and prepare and respond to changes in government guidance.’

Government has asked the military to regularly report its Covid cases.

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