By Nancy I. Maanao
(Tumon, Guam) News from Washington, D.C. confirms that the military command on Guam and the Governor's Office were not being truthful with the people of Guam Tuesday. U.S. Pacific Fleet Command has confirmed news that Kandit published this morning and that Joint Region Marianas yesterday said was inaccurate: four sailors from the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt tested positive for COVID-19 at Naval Hospital Guam.
They have been medically evacuated to Guam and isolated at Naval Hospital Guam for evaluation and treatment.
According to a news release from Joint Region Marianas:
"Joint Region Marianas has been working in cooperation with the Government of Guam to ensure proper advance notification of the patients’ arrival on Guam. The patients will be treated at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam and will be isolated at U.S. Naval Base Guam in accordance with CDC protocols.
"U.S. Pacific Fleet is committed to taking every measure possible to protect the health of our force, to prevent the spread of the virus, and to ensure continued cooperation with the Government of Guam in our COVID-19 response."
On Tuesday, the Guam Daily Post's Nick Delgado asked Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero in a live news conference about the four cases. The governor and her public health director said they were not aware, but that the governor was in daily contact with the commander of Joint Region Marianas.
The Post broke the story of the four cases moments after the news conference, which was followed within an hour by a news release from JRM stating the information was wrong.
Hours later news broke from Washington, D.C. about the first cases of COVID-19 aboard a Naval ship, causing alarms through the Naval fleet.
Kandit broke the story this morning of the Roosevelt's history and present-day whereabouts, including the movement of Learjets from Andersen Air Force Base to the middle of the Philippine Sea right outside Guam's western shores.
