US Navy failed to implement measures to halt infectious disease spread before Covid-19

The US Navy (USN) had plans and drills in place meant to halt or hamper the spread of disease before the onset of Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, but the service had failed to act on them, according to the Pentagon Inspector General (IG) report ‘Evaluation of the Navy’s Plans and Response to the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Onboard Navy Warships and Submarines’, released on 4 February.

“The navy had not fully implemented measures intended to reduce the risk of the spread of infectious diseases,” the IG said in its report.

“Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, we found that four out of five navy component commands did not conduct a biennial Pandemic Influenza and Infectious Disease exercise in accordance with the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) requirements,” the IG said.

The USN reported outbreaks on warships in 2020, the IG pointed, notably aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100).

The USN agreed to the IG report recommendations that the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy, and the Surgeon General of the navy review and update the OPNAV’s Pandemic Influenza and Infectious Disease Policy, and Navy Technical Reference Publication, ‘Shipboard Quarantine and Isolation’, to include guidance and lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some of the lessons learnt include the implementation of restriction of movement, pre-deployment sequesters, personal protective equipment supply requirements, and shipboard quarantine procedures.

The USN also agreed to another IG recommendation that the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy, and the Surgeon General of the navy include the observations and analysis identified in the after-action review on the Covid-19 outbreak on Kidd when updating Pandemic Influenza and Infectious Disease policies.