DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two U.S. Navy warships operating in the Mideast have been struck by coronavirus outbreaks. That’s according to Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a spokeswoman for the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet. A dozen troops aboard the USS San Diego, an amphibious transport dock, tested positive for COVID-19. The commander says there also have been sailors afflicted aboard another vessel, the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea. The San Diego sails with nearly 600 sailors and Marines aboard, while the Philippine Sea carries some 380 sailors. The 5th Fleet patrols the waterways of the Mideast and often have tense encounters with Iran.
