The number of confirmed coronavirus cases aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt has risen to 155, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Sunday as he defended the Navy’s effort to get as many of the crew off of the vessel as possible.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” program, the Pentagon chief said none of the cases on the ship — which is now docked in Guam as many of its 4,000 crew members enter a two-week isolation period — have been serious.
“We need to take care of the sailors on the ship. We need to ensure their well-being and get that ship back out to sea as soon as possible,” Mr. Esper said. “I’m pleased to report right now over half of the ship has been tested. Only 155 sailors have come up positive. Those are all mild to moderate. There have been no hospitalizations whatsoever. The crew is being taken care of out there.”
The former captain of the Roosevelt, Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, was relieved of his command last week after he wrote a blistering letter warning that the Pentagon wasn’t doing enough to protect his sailors. That letter was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle, and Navy officials said the incident led them to lose faith in Capt. Crozier.
Mr. Esper said he fully supported the decision to remove Capt. Crozier, who received a standing ovation from his sailors as he departed the Roosevelt last Thursday evening.
“It’s just another example of how we hold leaders accountable for their actions,” Mr. Esper said, adding that the Pentagon has launched a full investigation into the matter.
Still, the situation aboard the Roosevelt remains fragile. Only about 1,500 of the 4,000-member crew have been moved off the ship and into temporary housing in Guam.
Mr. Esper said the Navy is working to get the rest to shore as quickly as possible — though he stressed that some will need to remain at their posts to operate nuclear reactors and other sensitive equipment on board.
“There is not a need, necessarily, to remove every sailor from the ship. You actually cannot do that,” he said.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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