Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Dane Chambers of Fort Lauderdale is among the service members helping the public aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy.
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The Mercy deployed from San Diego to Los Angeles in support of the nation’s COVID-19 response efforts, and will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals, a Navy press release said. This allows shore base hospitals to focus their efforts on COVID-19 cases.
Unfortunately, Naval health officials are fighting an outbreak of COVID-19 on the Mercy with seven cases among crew members, a Navy official told the San Diego Union-Tribune Monday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom previously announced plans to move senior citizens from nursing homes to the ship to isolate them from the virus.