Royal Navy sailors on frigate HMS Richmond under 'medical supervision' after testing positive for coronavirus

Former Portsmouth-based Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond has become the latest warship in the fleet to suffer an outbreak of the Covid-19.

The news of the infection was confirmed last night – although the navy has declined to say how many of Richmond’s 185-strong ship’s company have tested positive for the virus.

Infected personnel are now ashore and being treated by medics, while the remaining crew warship – now based in Devonport, Plymouth – are following the appropriate medical guidelines, which includes a period of self-isolation for some.

A Royal Navy spokesman told Plymouth Live: ‘We can confirm that a number of personnel from HMS Richmond have tested positive for Covid-19.

‘Those individuals are ashore and are under medical supervision.

‘The remaining crew are following appropriate guidelines while the Royal Navy continues to manage the situation.’

The outbreak on Richmond is the latest to affect the navy as positive tests continue to surge among the population.

Portsmouth-based HMS Queen Elizabeth had to postpone her departure for several days this month after a small number of the 1,700 crew – ‘fewer than 10’ – tested positive for Covid-19.

Days earlier, the Royal Navy’s current flagship HMS Albion also recorded a number of positive Covid-19 cases among the crew less than a day after leaving Plymouth.

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Sailors were transported ashore to be treated, while the amphibious assault ship was placed in quarantine at sea.

Both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Albion have now resumed their operations at sea.

Albion has headed off on three-month deployment to the Mediterranean and Black Sea while Queen Elizabeth is carrying out training with the F-35B stealth jet, as part of a carrier strike group, in the North Sea.

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