CAF members begin 14-day isolation in Halifax prior to COVID-19 mission
'We think this is the best way to lower the risk as much as possible,' says admiral
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces, mostly members of the Royal Canadian Navy, began 14 days in isolation at a Halifax hotel on Thursday.
It is a precaution against COVID-19 infection prior to setting out to sea for potential deployment to Canadian communities during the crisis.
The isolation order covers about 260 crew members of the HMCS Moncton and HMCS Ville de Quebec, along with a Cyclone helicopter air detachment.
The members will not be permitted to leave their rooms, or to interact with one another physically, for the two-week period.
They will communicate electronically to prepare for deployment, say officials, and will follow a structured routine that includes online workout programs.
Military staff, with at least one wearing a mask, operated a checkpoint at the hotel's main entrance Thursday as the crew members bid their spouses and children goodbye before entering the building with their bags in tow.
Rear Admiral Craig Baines, commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic, said the isolation period gives the military the best chance of avoiding community spread on one of its ships.
"We're seeing right now around the world that our allies are having situations in ships where the virus is spreading," said the admiral.
"(Coronavirus) spreads very quickly because of the close proximity of sailors. We think this is the best way to lower the risk as much as possible to protect the health of our sailors and aviators so that they're available and healthy to help Canadians in their time of need."
None of the crew members sequestered in Halifax on Thursday had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday, according to the military, which has assessed them as low risk for getting the virus given their actions so far.
'Maximum flexibility'
Baines said once the two weeks are up, the ships would likely head to sea for manoeuvres and equipment tests.
The crews would be on standby "over the next couple months," the admiral added, with the vessels working together or separately depending on the situation.
"We would retain maximum flexibility," he said. "Primarily it would be being prepared for any sort of domestic response that might be required — all the way from a search-and-rescue situation that could occur on the water to something that might be required to support a community that has an issue with the COVID-19 situation."
The military is organizing up to 24,000 full-time and part-time members into "rapid reaction" teams to deliver supplies and to support provinces and municipalities. HMCS Moncton and HMCS Ville de Quebec would also be available for international deployment during the pandemic that has killed more than 45,000 people worldwide, including more than 100 in Canada.
You're 'alone'
The crew members in Halifax isolation range from new recruits on their first mission to veterans such as Maj. Norman Hanley, who admitted the start of his deployment was unlike any he had experienced in his 30-year career.
"It's interesting, isn't it?" he said. "When you're on ship you're alone with your own thoughts but there's people around all the time. In this case you're going to be alone physically."
He added he's more concerned about his children than himself.
"They're freaking out the last week knowing that I'm coming here," he said. "I've got five kids and my wife is at home having to deal with that. And I can't leave the room. I can't do anything to help her."
Mental health checks
The military is monitoring the sequestered sailors' mental health, said Baines.
"In this particular case we're going to make sure that we're talking to them multiple times a day, checking in with them," he said, adding that members underwent medical screening to confirm their fitness for the unusual mission.
The sequestered sailors will have access to alcohol and marijuana edibles in their rooms after hours, but not cigarettes. Therefore about 50 crew members were disqualified from the mission because they are smokers.
As Rhiannon Morgan saw off her 20-year-old son, Niall, on Thursday, she said the leading seaman is "a little nervous" about his first deployment, but that he's taking the two-week isolation order in stride.
"He lives at home, still spends most of the time in his room," said Morgan. "He socializes with his friends on Xbox. I think his generation is way better set up for this. It will probably be easier for him than it would be for me."
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With files from Kayla Hounsell