Covid-19: around twenty Charles-de-Gaulle sailors still hospitalized

While more than a third of the sailors of the French aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle have tested positive for Covid-19, since their early return on Sunday, around twenty of them are still hospitalized in Toulon.

"There are 20 sailors hospitalized, there is one in intensive care, whose condition is stationary," said Thursday April 16, Eric Lavault, spokesman for the French Navy, on the antenna of RMC. They are currently at the Sainte-Anne army training hospital in Toulon, in the south of the country.

"The investigation is underway to shed light on the mode of propagation," he said.

Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier: "There are 20 hospitalized sailors, one of them is in intensive care, whose condition is stationary (...) The investigation is underway to highlight the mode of propagation"
Eric Lavault , spokesperson for the French Navy # BourdinDirect pic.twitter.com/XyYqofKT9X

On April 10, around 50 people tested positive for Covid-19 on the French aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle. Five days later, 668 people were carrying the virus, more than a third of the workforce, announced yesterday the Ministry of the Armed Forces. And the assessment is only provisional. 

"As of April 14 in the evening, 1,767 sailors of the carrier strike group have been tested. The vast majority of these tests concern at this stage sailors of the aircraft carrier; 668 have been positive," the ministry said in a statement. .

On April 13, the Mediterranean schools cluster welcomes sailors from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.

They are taken care of by the medical teams and will observe a period of fourteen before being able to return to their homes. pic.twitter.com/AOXxljsIUf

The vessel (1,750 sailors) and the air defense frigate that accompanied it (200 sailors) joined the port of Toulon on Sunday, two weeks in advance, after the initial discovery of around fifty cases of coronavirus. The 1,900 sailors were immediately placed in solitary confinement for 14 days, before being able to return to their homes.

With AFP and Reuters

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app