Home  /  Media Centre  /  News  /  2020  /  Romanian ship with COVID cases onboard, departs Standing NATO Maritime Group 2

NORTHWOOD, United Kingdom - Romanian Frigate ROS Regina Maria is completing its mission with Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) and returning to Romania.

On 9 November the crew was tested for COVID-19 and it was found that a significant number of the crew had tested positive.

Upon arrival in the Port of Constanta, Romania, containment and quarantine measures will be applied to the entire crew on board the ship and the health of crew will be monitored on an ongoing basis. If the health of some crew members requires additional measures, they will be evacuated and admitted to medical treatment facilities in accordance with the national procedures in force.

The health of our forces is vitally important to maintaining readiness to deter and defend our homelands. The NATO naval forces continue to adapt their methods and procedures of action to the current health context caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

SNMG2 is one of four standing forces that comprise the maritime component of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), which is part of the NATO Response Force (NRF). To respond to contingency situations additional forces can be added to these groups, with the NATO command staff on board and the ships of the group as the nucleus, capable of providing timely support to NATO operations. The Group continues their mission of high readiness patrol in the Mediterranean.