{"id":18867,"date":"2021-01-11T10:16:53","date_gmt":"2021-01-11T10:16:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/01\/11\/in-one-ashore-shop-a-sailor-worries-about-covid-exposure\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:59:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:59:19","slug":"in-one-ashore-shop-a-sailor-worries-about-covid-exposure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/01\/11\/in-one-ashore-shop-a-sailor-worries-about-covid-exposure\/","title":{"rendered":"In one ashore shop, a sailor worries about COVID exposure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For one petty officer at a Norfolk shore command, the past year has entailed wondering if the next shipmate coming through the door had the coronavirus, while concurrently helping sailors understand what to do if they suspect they are positive and shouldering more work when sailors needed to isolate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Masks are mandatory on base, but the petty officer also conceded that \u201cwe get sloppy in our shop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On their second day in a new workspace last year, a sailor came to check in but didn\u2019t tell anyone he had just been tested for COVID, according to the petty officer, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His positive result came back the second day he was there, and coworkers had to isolate and get tested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a revolving door of people exposing themselves to us,\u201d the sailor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colleagues sometimes let their masks down, and the petty officer also worries about a lack of other protections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have any plexiglass in our shop, we don\u2019t have any signs talking about social distancing,\u201d the sailor said this fall. \u201cWe just have a bottle of hand sanitizer by the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t