Navy removes 126 staffers from hospital ship

7 aboard USS Mercy have tested positive for coronavirus

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The Navy has removed 126 members of its medical staff from a hospital ship docked off Los Angeles.

Seven staffers from the USS Mercy have tested positive for coronavirus. They, and the rest of the personnel removed from the ship, are now under quarantine at a nearby military base. So far none has needed hospitalization.

It's still unclear where, or how, the sailors became infected. The Mercy left Naval Base San Diego last month for its assignment in the Port of Los Angeles. Its primary mission is to relieve stress on L.A. hospitals by providing bed space for patients not suffering from COVID-19.