WASHINGTON — The military is looking into how sailors aboard the USS Kidd may have caught the COVID-19 virus.
The Secretary of Defense said on Tuesday it is possible the virus may have spread to the ship during a counter-drug operation.
Secretary Mark Esper did caution that it is only a theory.
"A theory is that they could have picked it up on a counter-drug mission, where they pulled over a vessel possibly carrying drugs and they boarded the vessel and they may have come in contact with somebody carrying the virus there," Esper said. "That's all there is to that story. The important thing is, the ship is back in port and the sailors are being taken care of."
Ninety-five of the destroyer's 350 sailors tested positive for coronavirus following a deployment off of Central America. The ship is currently docked in San Diego.