NUCLEAR submarine crews have been told they face 14 days in quarantine to prevent a coronavirus outbreak while on a long secret voyage.
Defence chiefs revealed that as a special precaution they will be confined on board the sub before they depart British waters.
Only when it is clear that there is no trace of the virus among the 150-strong crew will they be allowed to set sail.
The subs provide Britain’s continueous at sea nuclear deterrent, which means at least one of the 11 subs is equipped with nuke missiles and at sea 365 days a year.
Its location is kept top secret but they are always poised to strike in the event of Britain coming under nuclear attack.
A Covid-19 outbreak on board could continue for weeks and would be potentially devastating during a lengthy patrol in which a submarine stays submerged for months.
Details emerged in the Commons when Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns asked what was being done to protect crews.
Junior defence minister James Heappey replied: “Measures have been introduced prior to sailing which involve the whole ship’s company quarantining onboard the submarine.
“In addition, personnel who are, or whose households are, symptomatic will be isolated before embarking, in accordance with self-isolation guidelines.
“Any individual who experiences symptoms while at sea will isolate onboard in accordance with PHE guidelines and receive the appropriate medical attention, until either recovery is established or they can be safely removed and returned to shore.”
