By Jacob Nakamura
(Tumon, Guam) There are now eight sailors from the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, who tested positive for COVID-19, according to Paul McCleary of BreakingDefense. All eight will be evaluated and treated on Guam.
Four tested positive yesterday and were medically evacuated to Guam, where they now are at Naval Hospital Guam. The count doubled today, with four more testing positive. They await airlift to the island.
Defense officials said there are other sailors aboard the ship of 5,000 who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. They are being isolated for now.
The U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt currently is in the Philippine Sea, which is immediately west of Guam's shores.
This growing crisis for the United States Navy is reminiscent of the Diamond Princess cruise ship emergency, where thousands of passengers were trapped in a confined area out at sea, where risk of exposure to the virus was unavoidable high. As of the latest count, 712 passengers aboard the Diamond Princess tested positive; nine died.
Prayers for them.