COVID-19 hasnât beached the Navy Written by defenceWeb - SA Navy fleet headquarters, Simon's Town. The SA Navy (SAN) maintains the COVID-19 pandemic has had âminimalâ impact on naval operations and personnel with the fleet âable to deploy as taskedâ. At the same time the maritime service of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) said, in response to a defenceWeb enquiry, personnel numbers were reduced in infected areas. âSections not affected continue as normal,â according to a statement which gave no further detail. âNoâ was the response to questions as to whether the pandemic has affected maritime operations and the possibility of providing the number of SAN personnel off-duty in Simonâs Town as a result of coronavirus infection.