93 coronavirus cases among Roosevelt sailors as Navy works to remove most of the crew

WASHINGTON — The Navy is working to remove some 2,700 sailors from the USS Theodore Roosevelt by Friday in an attempt to slow a spreading coronavirus outbreak on the aircraft carrier now docked off the coast of Guam, senior service officials said Wednesday.

The Navy has already moved about 1,000 sailors off the ship, of which 93 sailors had tested positive for the fast-spreading virus as of Wednesday, acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said. The scramble to quickly test and remove troops from the ship comes one day after a letter to top Navy officials penned by the Roosevelt’s top officer surfaced in the media.

In the letter, Capt. Brett Crozier warned the outbreak could kill some sailors, and that “if we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our sailors.”

Modly and Adm. Michael Gilday, the chief of naval operations, told reporters Wednesday that they agreed with Crozier’s assessment of the situation and his decision to send the letter up the Navy’s chain of command. They blamed any slowed response to the crisis on miscommunication and indicated the captain would not face punishment unless it was determined that he had leaked the letter to the media.

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