HMS Queen Elizabeth departs Portsmouth after ship's crew is tested for Covid-19

The warship’s deployment had been postponed to allow health checks on the ship’s company to ensure none were carrying the infection.

The £3.1bn ship left Portsmouth Naval Base shortly after 5pm and is returning to sea to conduct more training ahead of her first operational mission next year.

Her movements were not announced publicly nor via the traditional shipping movement lists at Portsmouth Queen’s Harbour Master amid fears residents would gather in large crowds to see the 65,000-tonne vessel off.

However, family members of the ship’s company did gather in small groups to watch the ship leave.

Taking to Twitter, armed forces minister James Heappey said: ‘HMS Queen Elizabeth sails this evening not in response to Covid-19, nor to counter any immediate threat but because we need our armed forces trained & ready for the uncertain world that waits beyond.’

Training will include facing simulated battle damage, fires and floods, as well as warfare training and mission rehearsals. The ship’s UK F35 Lightning fighter jet crews will also be conducting practice manoeuvres from her decks, giving vital experience to the aircrews and ship’s company involved in air operations.

The exercises are focused on ensuring that ‘UK Defence remains prepared for future global threats’.

Extra care was taken over the warship’s most recent deployment after a US aircraft carrier and French carrier suffered serious outbreaks over Covid-19 which caused them to be quarantined.

As previously reported, the Royal Navy warship had been expected to depart naval base earlier this week.

But a spokesman for the service confirmed 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.

‘This is the right and sensible thing to do to ensure the Navy can continue to deliver on operations now and in the future.’

Defence secretary Ben Wallace told MPs last week 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: ‘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.

‘I have also said to the First Sea Lord, you must justify in writing why it is necessary to put to sea.’

He added of the carrier: ‘It is going to be in UK waters so it is not very far away – it's going to be within helicopter distance if we need to send someone back.

‘I think that plus well-worn traditional isolating rules which ships have always had to do, I think puts us in a place where we look after the welfare but maintain the defence operations that we have to do.’

Speaking ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s departure, a spokesman for the Royal Navy 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.

‘The continuation of this training has been agreed by senior leaders across defence.

‘She will be operating in waters close to the UK coast and the commanding officer has discretion to cease the training, if deemed necessary.’

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