Aircraft Carrier’s Captain Calls For ‘Decisive Action’ From Navy Leadership For 5,000 Sailors Aboard
After the captain of the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt--where at least 100 have tested positive for coronavirus--asked for the removal of 4,000 of the nuclear-powered ship's sailors and isolating them, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said "I don't think we're at that point.'' Military news is on infection spreading in veterans' homes, as well.
The captain of the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, in a blunt letter, has called on Navy leadership for stronger measures to save the lives of his sailors and stop the spread of the coronavirus aboard the huge ship. The four-page letter, the contents of which were confirmed by U.S. officials to Reuters on Tuesday, described a bleak situation on board the nuclear-powered carrier as more and more sailors test positive for the virus. The Navy puts the ship鈥檚 complement at 5,000, the equivalent of a small American town. (Ali and Stewart, 3/31)
At least 70 sailors now have tested positive for the new coronavirus, which first appeared on the ship last week, Navy officials said. The Navy had said it was flying testing supplies to the ship. But in his memo, Capt. Crozier described the limitations of testing, saying that of the first 33 sailors tested for the coronavirus, seven who tested negative displayed symptoms of infection one to three days later. (Youssef, 3/31)
"The problem is that Guam doesn't have enough beds right now, so we're having to talk to the government there to see if we can get some hotel space, create some tent-type facilities there," he said. Modly added that Navy leaders "don鈥檛 disagree with the CO on that ship and we鈥檙e [handling the situation] in a very methodical way because it's not the same as a cruise ship. I mean that ship has armaments on it, it has aircraft on it. We have to be able to fight fires if there are fires onboard the ship. We have to run a nuclear power plant." (Feldscher and Seligman, 3/31)
The mayor of Holyoke, Mass., got an unsigned letter over the weekend that deeply disturbed him. 鈥淎re you aware of the horrific circumstances at the Soldiers鈥 Home?鈥 the letter read, and went on to describe serious breaches, like a resident suspected of having the coronavirus, awaiting the results of a test, being sent back to a dementia ward with 20 other veterans. 鈥淲here is the state in addressing what is truly happening in this building?鈥 the letter concluded. (Barry, 3/31)
