The USS Theodore Roosevelt returned to sea after being docked in Guam for weeks due to a coronavirus outbreak on board in March.
The US Navy announced that the aircraft carrier left Guam today and entered the Philippine Sea to complete the carrier's qualifications.
Epidemic on board: More than 1,000 of the approximately 4,900 members of the ship's crew tested positive for Covid-19. After evacuating some 4,000 sailors from the ship to Guam, the US Navy had returned sailors after a period of quarantine and isolation in hopes of setting the carrier at sea as soon as possible.
"After cleaning the entire vessel from bow to stern, the appropriate number of crew members to operate the vessel underway returned from quarantine after passing rigorous return to work criteria," said the Navy said in a statement.
The statement added that they were bringing fewer sailors on board, which would help increase social distance.
New measures: All the sailors on board took the necessary lessons on virus prevention and mitigation and practiced emergency simulation procedures while performing measures such as wearing masks, the statement said.
Other virus prevention measures include adjusted meal times, disinfection spaces, minimization of face-to-face meetings and simulated medical evacuation.
"It was an unprecedented challenge to get to this point and I am proud of the tenacity and resilience of the Rough Rider team in the face of uncertainty," said Captain Carlos Sardiello, the captain of the ship.
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