Coronavirus crisis at UK’s nuclear submarine base

Britain’s Trident nuclear submarine base is in the grip of a Coronavirus scare, MailOnline can reveal.

Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, the home of the UK nuclear deterrent in Scotland, has nearly 20 possible cases of infection so far.

Servicemen and women reporting Covid-19 symptoms have been isolated in sealed rooms with ‘no entry’ signs taped to the doors.

The number of possible victims is currently in the ‘low teens’, a source said, and preparations are underway for a major outbreak.

The top floor of the Linton Block, one of 17 accommodation buildings at the facility, has been converted into a makeshift quarantine unit and sealed off. 

A medical team equipped with masks and yellow biohazard bags was seen at work on the base last week. 

A Ministry of Defence source insisted that Britain’s nuclear deterrent remains fully operational and that there is no possibility of a national security emergency.

So far nobody has tested positive on the base, he added, though he acknowledged that testing has not been carried out in every case, in line with Government guidelines.

Staff have complained at being ‘left in the dark’, saying they have not been informed about the virus risk at the facility.

‘Nobody knows what is going on and it’s making people frightened,’ one told MailOnline on condition of anonymity.

‘We have not had a single communication to tell us what is happening, and every day more rooms are sealed off.

‘Everyone here is expected to put our lives on the line for the Navy. We just want the Navy to level with us and tell us what the risk is.’

A Ministry of Defence source said that the jigsaw of different private firms and Navy units that operate the base has made it difficult to communicate news about the virus effectively to all staff.

The source said: ‘The base is endeavouring to ensure all personnel are aware of the situation and the measures being taken to safeguard personnel.’

HMNB Clyde, commonly known throughout the Navy as ‘Faslane’, is home to 3,000 service personnel, 800 of their families and 4,000 civilian workers, mainly from the engineering firm Babcock International.

EXCLUSIVE: Alleged sign of of the lockdowned facility at Faslane Trident base in Scotland

 

The Linton Block, where the quarantine facility is being set up, is opposite the ‘Supermess’, one of the base’s major leisure hubs.

In addition to separate bars for officers and sailors, there are restaurants, cafes and shops, with a bowling alley, ski slope, swimming pool and gym nearby.

All of these are now seen as a ‘petri dish for the virus’, according to personnel serving at the site, and most are being closed down as the top brass prepares for the worst.

The sports schedules, which include circuit training and team events such as football, rugby and boxing, have been cancelled, and the swimming pool has been shut in an effort to combat the spread of the disease.

The quarantine area consists of about 24 single rooms – known as ‘cabins’ in Navy jargon – each containing a double bed, wardrobe, desk and chair, chest of drawers, bedside cabinet and television table.

FASLANE, SCOTLAND: General view of HMS Vigilant, which carries the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent. 2019 marked the 50 year anniversary of Britain’s nuclear deterrent 

Each also has a walk-in shower, en-suite lavatory and sink.

Cleaning staff normally service the cabins once a week and there are communal kitchens with washing machines and tumble dryers.

A Royal Navy spokesman said: ‘The Ministry of Defence has put in place robust plans to ensure the delivery of key operations in the UK and overseas and we are confident that essential defence tasks will be maintained during this time.

‘Any serving personnel who are showing symptoms will follow the advice and guidance issued by Public Health England. Whilst sensible precautions are being taken, all required outputs are being maintained at HM Naval Base Clyde.’

The base in Faslane, about 40miles northwest of Glasgow, is the home of the Submarine Service, and is the Royal Navy’s main presence in Scotland.

In addition to Trident, Britain’s nuclear deterrent, it houses the new generation of hunter-killer submarines.

The site is run in partnership with Babcock International, a civilian firm that provides specialist engineering services and manages the base’s critical infrastructure and nuclear facilities.

The Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport, eight miles from Faslane, is responsible for the storage and maintenance of Trident and all submarine weaponry.

Today it was announced that three more people in Scotland have died after testing positive for Coronavirus, taking the country’s total number of deaths to six.

The total number of people in Scotland who have contracted Covid-19 stands at 266, an increase of 39 in 24 hours.

The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said that the figure was ‘likely to be an underestimate of the true prevalence of the infection.’

The number of cases in Wales now stands at 170, an overnight increase of 24, and Northern Ireland recorded its first death today – one of 68 people who have tested positive there.

Britain as a whole has recorded 108 deaths and 2,689 confirmed cases of Coronavirus.