| COVID-19 outbreak on board USSTheodore Roosevelt | |
|---|---|
 USSTheodore Roosevelt in October 2019 | |
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Index case | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Arrival date | 24 March 2020 (5 years, 7 months and 1 day ago) |
| Active cases | 1,156[1][2] |
| Hospitalized cases | 3 |
Deaths | 1 |
Thesevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of theCOVID-19 pandemic, was detected on the aircraft carrierUSS Theodore Roosevelt in March 2020 while she was at sea. Affected crew members were evacuated and the ship was ordered toGuam. The captain,Brett Crozier, wanted most of the crew to be removed from the ship to prevent the spread of the disease, but his superiors were reluctant. After several days Crozier e-mailed three of his superior officers and seven other Navy Captains, outlining a plan for the ship to be largely evacuated because the virus could not be contained on board. The letter leaked to the press, and the next day the Navy ordered most of the crew to be taken ashore, but the captain was relieved of command by Acting Secretary of the NavyThomas Modly. Modly's order was controversial, and his later speech to the crew aboardTheodore Roosevelt was criticized. Modly resigned a few days later. By mid-April hundreds of crew members including Crozier had tested positive for the virus, and one had died.
In spring 2020, theUnited States Navy aircraft carrierTheodore Roosevelt was on deployment in the Pacific. The ship docked in Guam on 7 February 2020,[3][4] when a cruise ship was denied entry to Guam for fears of the virus.[5][6] The first cases in theCOVID-19 pandemic in Guam were confirmed on 15 March 2020,[7] straining the island's ability to cope with additional cases.[8][9]
On 5 March, the ship made a four-day-long port call atDa Nang, Vietnam. On the last night some sailors stayed at a hotel where two people had tested positive forCOVID-19. Upon learning this, the crew were ordered back to the ship and the sailors who had stayed at the hotel were isolated.[10] The ship did not haveCOVID-19 test kits at the time. The ship departed on 9 March.[3] Over the next weeks the ship's medical team monitored the crew for any signs of infection.[10] The sailors associated with the hotel visit were later tested negative.[11] Samples were tested by the Navy's mobile laboratory on the ship on 19 March.[12]
On 22 March, a first sailor tested positive.[3] By 24 March, three further sailors of the flight crew aboard had tested positive for the virus,[13][11] and the four affected sailors were flown to Guam,[14] as were another five the next day.[15]
Within a few days, that number climbed to "dozens."Theodore Roosevelt was ordered toGuam and docked on 26–27 March 2020,[16] with most of the crew being restricted to the ship and the pier.[12]
On 30 March, the ship's commanding officer, CaptainBrett Crozier, sent anunclassified email to three admirals in his chain of command, including the commander of theUnited States Pacific Fleet and AdmiralStuart P. Baker, the commander ofCarrier Strike Group 9 and his immediate superior. The memo outlined the coronavirus outbreak aboard the ship and recommended that he be given permission to evacuate all non-essential sailors, quarantine known COVID-19 cases, and sanitize the ship. Seven captains – five aboardTheodore Roosevelt and two who are assistants to higher admirals – were copied on the e-mail.[17][18]
On 31 March, over 100 sailors tested positive.[19] The letter was leaked to theSan Francisco Chronicle, which published it.[20]
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On 1 April, the Navy ordered the aircraft carrier largely evacuated, with a skeleton crew to remain aboard the vessel to maintain the nuclear reactor, the fire-fighting equipment, the ship's galley, and a disinfection crew.[16] About a thousand sailors were moved off the ship, partly toNaval Base Guam, and 1,700 hotel rooms were booked on Guam for TR sailors.[21][22]
On 2 April, actingNavy SecretaryThomas Modly relieved Crozier of his command.[23] According to Modly, Crozier had sent the letter to "20 or 30 people" and had gone outside hischain of command.[24] However, this account was disputed by writers for theWashington Post because Crozier had addressed and sent the letter directly to his superior, Admiral Baker.[17]
On 5 April 2020, the Navy confirmed that 155 sailors had been infected and that 1,500 sailors had been removed from the ship, a lower number than the Navy had projected several days earlier.[25] A closed social media group provided communication while in quarantine.[21]
On 4–5 April, Modly traveled to Guam to visit the ship in person.[26][27] On 5 April 1pm local time (11pm Washington time), he made a speech to the crew over the ship'spublic address system, strongly criticizing Crozier. The transcript and an audio recording of Modly's speech were subsequently leaked to the media.[27] On 6 April, Modly apologized for the comment.[28]
On 7 April, Modly resigned from his post. The Navy said 61% ofTheodore Roosevelt's crew had been tested for COVID-19 and 173 members had tested positive, including Captain Crozier. None were hospitalized. Two thousand sailors – just under half the total crew – had been moved ashore.[29][3]
On 8 April, the Navy reported that 416 crew members had tested positive for the virus, and that one quarantined sailor was placed in intensive care atNaval Hospital Guam after being found unconscious in his quarantine quarters.[30] About 2,500 sailors remained on board.[3]
On 11 April, it was reported that more than 90% of the crew had been tested for the coronavirus, and 550 crew members had tested positive.[31][32]
As of 12 April 585 crew members had tested positive.[33]
On 13 April, the hospitalized sailor, a 41-year oldchief petty officer, died from COVID-19.[34][33][35][17]
As of 20 April, 4,069 sailors had been moved off the ship,[36] out of the total crew of 4,800.[17] Some 94% of the crew had beentested for the virus, yielding 678 positive and 3,904 negative results.[36] As of 17 April, seven crew members were in the hospital including one in intensive care.[37] About 60% of the people who tested positivedid not have symptoms.[38] As of 16 April, most of the ship had been cleaned.[39] Sailors kept testing positive for the virus even after 14 days of isolation; some who tested positive had previously tested negative.[36] The Navy temporarily suspended post-quarantine testing and extended the sailors' isolation, delaying plans to begin moves of the crew back to the carrier.[36] Some sailors volunteered forantibody testing.[40]
In early May sailors who had completed quarantine began returning to the ship to get her ready to sail again.[41]
As of 5 May, 1,156 crew members have tested positive. The Navy stopped publicly reporting tallies of new coronavirus cases on USSTheodore Roosevelt.[1]
As of 14 May, 2,900 sailors have returned to the ship.[41]
On 15 May five sailors on the ship developed symptoms and were found to test positive for the virus for the second time. They had previously completed a 14-day quarantine and had tested negative at least twice before being allowed to reboard. The sailors were removed from the ship along with some of their contacts. Officials said it was not clear if these cases reflect actual relapses or problems with the test.[41]
On 21 MayTheodore Roosevelt entered the Philippine Sea for carrier qualification flights with 3,000 sailors, leaving 1,800 still in quarantine on Guam;[42] Captain Sardiello announced that the ship would return to Guam for the remaining sailors who have successfully completed quarantine.[42]
In early June, around 350 sailors were in isolation onGuam.[43]
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When the ship arrived in Guam on 26 March the ship's commanding officer, CaptainBrett Crozier, wanted to have most of the crew immediately taken ashore, saying it was impossible to prevent the spread of the virus in the close quarters of the ship. Rear Adm.Stuart P. Baker, who was the commanding officer ofCarrier Strike Group 9 and thus Crozier's immediate superior, disagreed, feeling such an action was impractical and too drastic.[10]
On 30 March, Crozier sent an email to communicate the status of his ship and her crew, saying it was not possible to observeCDC/Navy[44] recommendations for individual quarantine orsocial distancing aboard the carrier.[20] Crozier referred to theviral spread on the less crowded cruise shipDiamond Princess as an example ofhow quickly a virus can spread on a crowded vessel.[45][46] The letter provided his superiors with options, includingready for battle while sick, but recommended most of the crew's evacuation, keeping only enough crew on board to maintain the nuclear reactors, provide security, and tosanitize the ship. The e-mail was sent to three superior officers in his chain of command, including his direct superior, Rear Admiral Baker, and was copied to seven captains – five of whom were aboard the Roosevelt, the other two of whom were executive assistants to the admirals.[47][17][18][10] The letter was leaked to theSan Francisco Chronicle, which published it the next day.[20]
On 2 April, actingNavy SecretaryThomas Modly relieved Crozier of his command for sending the request for assistance over non-secure email to a "broad array of people" rather than up the chain of command, adding that Crozier "allowed the complexity of the challenge of the COVID breakout on the ship to overwhelm his ability to act professionally". Crozier will remain in the Navy and retain his rank.[23] As Crozier disembarked, sailors were seen chanting "Cap-tain Cro-zier" in a video posted toTwitter captioned "Wrongfully relieved of command but did right by the sailors."[48]
Modly claimed that Crozier had sent a "blast out email to anybody who he knows about the situation" and even "copied [the email] to 20 or 30 other people."[49]The Washington Post subsequently obtained the e-mail and found that it had been sent to only 10 people, all Navy admirals or captains.[17]
Reaction to Crozier's dismissal was mixed. AWall Street Journal story reported that on "Capitol Hill and inside the Pentagon, lawmakers and officials reacted with confusion and anger over the dismissal" of Crozier.[50] A joint statement from four Democrats on theHouse Armed Services Committee, including the committee chair,Representative Adam Smith (D-WA), criticized Crozier's conduct, saying that "Captain Crozier was justifiably concerned about the health and safety of his crew, but he did not handle the immense pressure appropriately. However, relieving him of his command is an overreaction."[51]President Trump also criticized Crozier's letter on 4 April saying that it was "not appropriate."[52]
Modly, U.S. Defense SecretaryMark Esper, and Chief of Naval Operations AdmiralMichael Gilday each defended the decision to remove Crozier,[53][54] although Gilday and Gen.Mark A. Milley, thechairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had earlier advised Modly not to do it until a Navy investigation into the matter had been completed.[55] Modly added that there was no White House pressure when the decision was made to remove Crozier.[53]
On 6 April Modly traveled 8,000 miles (13,000 km)[26] to Guam on a Navy executive jet; the trip was later reported to have cost taxpayers at least $243,000.[56] He visited the ship and spoke to the crew over the ship'spublic address system. He began by blaming the Chinese government for worsening the outbreak by not revealing how bad the disease was. He continued by criticizing Crozier as "too naïve or too stupid to be a commanding officer" if he did not realize that his letter would be leaked to the media.[57] Modly also scolded the ship's crew for cheering their captain as Crozier departed the ship.[26] Modly's speech was widely criticized.SenatorTim Kaine stated, "It's deeply disappointing that he would deliver a speech on board a U.S. aircraft carrier suggesting that Captain Crozier might be 'stupid'."[58]House SpeakerNancy Pelosi andRepresentativeElaine Luria called for the removal of Modly, with Luria, a Navy veteran, saying he was "in no way fit" to lead the Navy.[59]RepresentativeJackie Speier, chairperson of theArmed Services Committee's panel on military personnel, also criticized the trip.[60] In the evening, the same day as he made the speech, Modly apologized for the comment.[28] The next day, 7 April, he resigned his position.[61]
On 24 April, Gilday and acting Navy secretary James McPherson recommended to Secretary Esper that Crozier be reinstated.[62] However, Defense Secretary Esper delayed a decision pending a "deeper review" of the situation. A Navy inquiry, whose results were announced on 19 June, concluded that Crozier and Baker made poor decisions regarding the coronavirus outbreak, so that Crozier will not be restored to command of the ship, and Baker's scheduled promotion will be put on hold.[63]
In June 2020, ADM R. Burke, Vice Chief of Naval Operations at the Department of the Navy, released the results of his investigation concerning the chain of command actions with regard to COVID-19 onboardUSS Theodore Roosevelt. As a review of the investigation results, Burke determined that "reassigning CAPT Crozier as the Commanding Officer (CO) of the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) is not in the best interest of Navy." Burke continues his preliminary statement, stating, "It is clear to me following this investigation, CAPT Crozier did not act according to the standards I expect of our commanding officers-to adapt in the face of adversity, exercise ingenuity and creativity in crisis, demonstrate resilience, communicate effectively up the chain of command, and to take bold and appropriate action early and often. His actions and inactions in the timeframe before sending the email fell well short of what I expect from our officers in command."[64]
On 13 April, the death of a 41-year-old chief petty officer, was announced.[65] Charles Thacker Jr. was the first active-duty member of the U.S. military to die of COVID-19.[66]
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In total, 1271 crew members tested positive for SARS-Cov-2 and an additional 60 had suspected COVID-19 but did not test positive; 76.9% of those who tested positive were asymptomatic at testing and only 55% developed any symptoms.[67]
Since then, at least 1,156 sailors have tested positive, one of whom died. The Navy on Friday stopped publicly reporting daily tallies of new coronavirus cases among the Roosevelt crew.
We needed a surrogate communication environment which was safe, informative, supportive and effective at establishing two way communication in both a military hierarchical structure but also a flat collaborative we-are-all-in-this-together manner. For us the first step was a closed Facebook page. Sailors have been very active and have taken full advantage of this new page and all it has to offer.
Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., 41, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, assigned to USSTheodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), died from COVID-19 April 13 at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam.
At approximately 8:30 a.m., Apr. 9 (local date), the Sailor was found unresponsive during a daily medical check. While Naval Base Guam emergency responders were notified, CPR was administered by fellow Sailors and onsite medical team in the house. The Sailor was transferred to U.S. Naval Hospital Guam where the Sailor was moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The Sailor was declared deceased April 13.
The findings are of enormous interest because the proportion of people who are asymptomatic is just simply not known
The cruise ship conditions clearly amplified an already highly transmissible disease. The public health measures prevented more than 2000 additional cases compared to no interventions. However, evacuating all passengers and crew early on in the outbreak would have prevented many more passengers and crew from infection.
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