- The Washington Times - Thursday, April 9, 2020

A sailor assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt remains hospitalized in intensive care in Guam after testing positive for the new coronavirus, Pentagon officials confirmed Thursday.

The sailor, who has not been identified, was admitted to the hospital Thursday, officials confirmed.

“We’re hoping the sailor recovers. We’re praying for him and his family and his shipmates,” said Air Force Gen. John Hyten, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Speaking at a Pentagon news briefing, Gen. Hyten said he hoped the situation aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt never would have gotten to that point.

“That’s just not going to be the case with coronavirus,” he said.

The vast majority of the sailors aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier have been tested and almost 3,000 are now off the ship, spread out among houses and hotel rooms throughout the island.

“There are teams of medical professionals that check on those sailors twice a day,” Gen. Hyten said.

It is likely sailors aboard other Navy ships will test positive for the coronavirus, he said.

“It’s not a good idea to think the [USS Theodore Roosevelt] is a ’one of a kind’ issue,” Gen. Hyten said “To think it will never happen again is not a good way to plan.”

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.

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