Coronavirus: Hundreds of UK military personnel test positive for Covid-19

A total of 406 troops tested positive for Covid-19, with two personnel dying from the condition as of July 17, defence minister Baroness Annabel Goldie said.

Of this, 57 were aged 18-24, 70 aged 25-29, 66 between 30 and 34 years and 61 between 35 and 39.

The majority – 152 in all – were aged over 40, which included the two fatalities.

The infections have not been broken down by service, with the figures revealed this month.

In April, the 800-strong crew of Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth had to be tested for coronavirus after two crew members were diagnosed with the illness.

The £3.1bn warship then had to spend a number of weeks at sea in quarantine before tackling operational trails off the British coast.

She has since returned to Portsmouth and is now readying herself for a series of challenging tests at sea as part of a Nato task group later in the year before her maiden operational mission in 2021.

Some members of Queen Elizabeth’s sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, have been involved in running mobile coronavirus testing stations across Hampshire.

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