USS Hershel “Woody” Williams Enters Mombasa, Kenya

The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) arrived in Mombasa, Kenya for a port visit, February 8, 2021, in support of its 2021 African coast deployment.

Williams is the first U.S. naval ship to enter the port of Mombasa in over a decade.

“Kenya is a close U.S. strategic partner in Africa,” said Capt. Michael Concannon, commanding officer, USS Hershel “Woody” Williams. “Our visit to Mombasa confirms our resolve and commitment to the preservation of security and stability in Kenya and Africa.”

The port visit facilitates engagement opportunities between Kenyan officials and military leadership. Participants will tour the ship and learn about the many capabilities that Hershel “Woody” Williams brings to the maritime security in the region. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, tours will be limited to open space areas of the ship only.

“The visit of the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams is a mark of the deep and enduring relationship between the United States and Kenya,” said Eric Kneedler, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. “We are grateful for our close military cooperation.”

Williams is currently deployed to the eastern coast of Africa to demonstrate their growth in strategic partnerships and U.S. commitment to African countries through interoperability training, maritime security and safety to allow for freedom of navigation in the region. The ship’s rotational crew swap allows unlimited operations in the Africa area of responsibility.

Homeported in Souda Bay, Greece, the ship conducts U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) missions in the Mediterranean and the waters around East, South, and West Africa to include the southern Mediterranean, operating with regional partners. The ship supports security cooperation missions and operations in and around the African continent.

U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. US Embassy

Hancock told MPs in the House of Commons on Tuesday: “People who flout these rules are putting us all at risk.

"I make no apologies for the strength of these measures because we’re dealing with one of the strongest threats to our public health that we’ve faced as a nation.”

He also announced people entering England from abroad will have to undergo further coronavirus testing during their subsequent 10-day isolation period.

People will have to take a test two and eight days into their quarantine, and must book these in advance.

And Hancock said there will be a £1,000 penalty for any international arrival who fails to take a test, and a £2,000 fine for any international arrival who fails to take the second test.

Furthermore, anyone who fails to take a test will also see their quarantine period extended by 14 days.

Hancock also confirmed a person who tests negative five days after arrival could mix in the community again – within the rules – but would have to return to quarantine if their test on day eight returned a positive COVID-19 result.

The extra testing will be in addition to the current rules requiring a negative COVID-19 test up to 72 hours before arrival, with proof of this needed to be allowed entry.

People must also provide contact details of where they will be staying for the 10-day isolation period.

This is hard for the authorities to police, and so the imposition of mandatory extra testing – as well as the threat of huge fines and prison sentences for rule breakers – has been presented by the government as toughening its border stance, which has been repeatedly questioned in recent days.

The measures will be put into law this week, Hancock said.

Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth, responding to the announcement for Labour, said the public wants the government to “go further” on border quarantine measures. Yahoo News