The Latest News: USS Theodore Roosevelt Crew to Quarantine in Local Hotels; DPHSS Updates
USS Theodore Roosevelt Developing Situation
Following a letter to senior military officials conveying that more than 100 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt docked in Guam are infected with the coronavirus, the US military and the Government of Guam have reached an agreement that sailors who test negative for the coronavirus will be quarantined for 14 days in designated hotels in Tumon, in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order and U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. The sailors who have tested positive will be treated inside Guam’s military bases. 1,000 sailors will need to stay on board for essential jobs, such as running the nuclear reactor that powers the ship.
Military leadership will be present throughout the lodging to ensure sailors adhere to quarantine protocols and remain in their rooms. The Governor Lou Leon Guerrero has also made assurances that this will be an entirely military-led operation, and that no local hospital or public health resources would be impacted. (See KUAM Coverage; Guam Post Coverage; SF Chronicle Coverage.) These sailors will be transported by military vehicles to the lodging and will not come into contact with the local community during transportation or their stay. Military medical representatives will conduct daily health evaluations for these sailors.
The Governor has also indicated that the military has promised to provide the local community aid in the form of supplies, test kits and medical resources.
It should be noted that the recently-enacted CARES Act appropriates several funding to military personnel in their efforts to “prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or international.” With regard to US Navy personnel, the CARES act provides “an additional amount for ‘Operation and Maintenance, Navy’” in the amount of $360,308,000, “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally.” The CARES Act also provides the Department of Defense $1 billion for “Defense Production Act Purchases,” an additional $1.45 billion for “Defense Working Capital Funds,” with $475 million going towards the Navy Working Capital Fund.
DPHSS Statistics
The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) tested 41 individuals for COVID-19 on Thursday, April 2, 2020 with conclusive results. Five (5) tested positive through DPHSS and 36 tested negative. The DPHSS overall count also includes six positive cases that were tested by the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego. To date, a total of 82 cases tested positive with 12 patients who have recovered and three deaths. All 67 remaining cases tested by GPHL and NHRC are in isolation.