The aircraft-carrier captain who was stripped of his command by the Navy over his public complaints about the coronavirus has reportedly tested positive for the disease himself.
Capt. Brett E. Crozier, former captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, has COVID-19 and has developed symptoms of the respiratory disease the virus causes, the New York Times reported Sunday.
Citing “two Naval Academy classmates of Crozier’s who are close to him and his family,” the Times reported that Capt. Crozier was showing symptoms before he was stripped of his command and removed from the ship last week.
A Navy spokesman declined to comment, the Times reported.
Capt. Crozier sent a letter on an unclassified email system last month warning of a potential catastrophe aboard the ship, where social distancing and quarantining are not practical.
The letter, which also said the Navy had not been doing all it could to protect the sailors, was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Acting Navy Secretary Thomas B. Modly stripped Capt. Crozier of his command of the Roosevelt, saying he had lost confidence in the captain, though he retains his commission.
There are more than 150 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among Roosevelt sailors as of Sunday.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.