Adam ElrashidiThe U.S. Navy is reporting that a sailor assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt died on Monday due to complications from COVID-19. The sailor had been in isolation after testing positive for the disease in late March and was later transferred to the ICU of the Naval Hospital Guam.
More than 1,700 sailors who tested negative are isolating themselves in nearby hotels amid an outbreak on the ship. The aircraft carrier has at least 580 cases of infection and has been docked in Guam since March 27. The U.S. territory has thus far reported at least 133 cases of infection and five deaths.
The Defense Department controls about one-third of the island, and the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association says it has set aside at least 10 hotels to accommodate the ship's crew. Guam has seen a significant drop in tourism due to the outbreak, which has resulted in hundreds of workers being laid off or furloughed.
The Navy has come under scrutiny recently for how its leadership has responded to the outbreak on the carrier. The ship's commander, Capt. Brett Crozier, was fired earlier this month after he wrote a letter to Navy leaders criticizing the situation on board. The letter was later leaked to the press.
In an audio recording that was also leaked, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said Crozier was either "too naive or too stupid" to be in charge of the ship. Modly's comments sparked backlash, and he resigned last week after apologizing for his remarks.
Contains footage from CNN.
