Nearly 3,000 Sailors To Leave Aircraft Carrier; Medical Specialists En Route To Guam
The Navy announced that about 1,000 crew members will remain on the USS Theodore Roosevelt while it is docked in Guam to keep the ship running and to secure it. About 100 sailors aboard have tested positive so far, leading the captain to ask for additional protections and evacuations.
The Associated Press:
Nearly 3,000 Sailors To Leave Carrier Amid Virus Outbreak
Nearly 3,000 sailors aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier where the coronavirus has spread will be taken off the ship by Friday, Navy officials said as they struggle to quarantine crew members in the face of an outbreak. So far, fewer than 100 of the nearly 5,000 sailors assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, now docked in Guam, have tested positive for the virus, but the Navy is moving sailors into various facilities and probably will begin using hotel rooms in the coming days. Navy leaders are talking with government officials in the U.S. territory to identify rooms for the crew members. (Baldor, 4/2)
The Wall Street Journal:
Virus Grounds A U.S. Aircraft Carrier As Crew Quarantined In Guam
The USS Theodore Roosevelt, which has been docked at a Guam port since last week, has at least 93 sailors who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The ship’s captain recently sent Navy leaders a memorandum asking for permission to quarantine the bulk of the crew off the ship, to prevent the contagious respiratory disease from infecting more sailors. (Craymer, 4/1)
The Hill:
Navy Leaders: 2,700 Sailors Will Be Taken Off Aircraft Carrier With Coronavirus Outbreak
Nearly 3,000 sailors will be taken off a U.S. aircraft carrier in the coming days, Navy leaders said Wednesday, after the ship's captain penned a letter pleading for help to end a coronavirus outbreak on board. “We think that there was a communications breakdown potentially with the crew of the Theodore Roosevelt, but when we became aware yesterday morning of these concerns we made sure that we were meeting expectations,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday said at a Pentagon briefing. (Kheel, 4/1)
