HMCS HALIFAX

Sailor put ashore for breaking rules

A sailor from HMCS Halifax has been put ashore for two weeks or more in England for breaking COVID-19 protocols aimed at keeping the frigate free of the virus.

“My prime concern here is the health and safety of the ship and an outbreak at sea is something that would spread very quickly,” Cmdr. Chris Rochon said in a telephone interview Friday.

The incident happened Wednesday evening when the warship was tied up in Liverpool.

“We had a member who was given an opportunity to do what was supposed to be a socially distanced talk with some family members that he has in Liverpool,” Rochon said.

“This is something we’ve done in the past successfully. You know — keeping far apart, wearing proper masks, doing all the things that we need to do to keep safe. And he made a decision to not follow those restrictions.”

Someone spotted the meeting, which happened on the pier, and reported it, Rochon said.

“It was seen. This wasn’t a case of him being allowed to go into town or anything. It was all planned out to be done on the jetty, in the vicinity of the ship, and it was supposed to be (done) with an appropriate distance,” he said.

The skipper wouldn’t delve into exactly how the sailor got too close.

“There is, of course, going to be an investigation into the circumstances that went into it. But we give very clear direction in these instances on maintaining the appropriate distance and making sure that you’re wearing your mask and avoiding any physical contact,” Rochon said.

The sailor — a long-time member of the crew — wasn’t allowed to interact with his crewmates after the incident with his family was reported, he said.

“We took action to put the member ashore so that he would be separated and we are going down the road of making sure he goes through a full 14-day isolation and testing prior to rejoining the ship so that we can make sure that he wasn’t exposed to anything and that he can’t bring it back to the ship.”

The sailor was put in a hotel, said the frigate’s captain.

SAILOR WILL RETURN TO SHIP BY CHOPPER OR BOAT

“We’re putting together all the pieces to make sure that he’s properly supported, that he has what he needs, and that we have the way in place to bring him back aboard safely when the time comes,” Rochon said, noting that will happen by either helicopter or boat.

“The health and safety of the sailors, aviators and soldiers on board here is my top priority, so when it comes to something like this, that’s the way that I have to look at it is making sure to reduce the risk and make sure we keep our sailors safe and healthy.”

The sailor might have to be moved to another location ashore, Rochon said. “At which point that (14-day) clock would re-start,” he said. “We’re working to make it happen as quickly as possible.”

Liverpool is “one of the better places in the United Kingdom” when it comes to COVID levels, Rochon said.

“But even with that, I still have to look at it as an increased risk, and it was a risk I’m not willing to take with the health of the crew.”

ENTIRE CREW HAS BEEN VACCINATED ONCE

Everyone on the ship has received their first vaccination against the coronavirus, he said. “We’ve actually all undergone multiple tests as part of our program and I’m happy to say that everything has been negative so far.”

Halifax left Liverpool with 235 people aboard Friday to participate in a large multinational military exercise around the United Kingdom with nearly a dozen other navies.

Sailors aboard HMCS Halifax are worried about their families as COVID levels surge in their home port.

“Our families are always front and centre on our minds,” Rochon said. “We’re very lucky nowadays that we have so many ways to reach back home, even at sea, and be able to stay connected. So, the one thing I take heart in is everybody is pretty much talking to their families every day, keeping an eye on things.”

Sailors have been restricted from leaving the jetty during most of the frigate’s port visits since they left Halifax in January to join Standing NATO Maritime Group One as part of a six-month deployment to Operation Reassurance.

“There have been some opportunities where we have been able to do some things like get a double decker bus where we fill the top and there’s no contact with the driver and we at least get to get out and get a tour of the cities and see some of the places that we’re going to,” Rochon said.

LOTS OF BOARD GAMES BEING PLAYED

Sailors have changed their definition of entertainment in a foreign port, he said.

“It used to be you go off and you explore and you enjoy the city,” Rochon said. “What you see nowadays is more games going on. I can walk around (the ship) in a foreign port and there’s board games going on all across the ship.”

The flight deck has been used to sample foreign fare.

“We’ll bring in local food, serve it ourselves, but have our own sort of local restaurant on the flight deck and all sorts of events like that that help keep the morale up,” Rochon said.

“It’s the sailors that are coming up with these things. I tell them I won’t dismiss any good idea.”