Navy confirms a sailor from the USS Theodore Roosevelt has died of coronavirus

(Image credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images.)

published 13 April 2020

A sailor from the USS Theodore Roosevelt, whose captain was ousted after warning of a coronavirus outbreak, has died from COVID-19 complications.

The Navy confirmed on Monday the death of a sailor who was assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt and was admitted into intensive care on April 9. The sailor, whose name wasn't released, tested positive for the coronavirus on March 30. This is the first confirmed death of one of the ship's sailors from COVID-19. More than 500 sailors from the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for the coronavirus, and CNN reports that four more sailors were admitted to the hospital over the weekend, citing a defense official.

Earlier this month, Capt. Brett Crozier was relieved of duty after writing a letter sounding the alarm about a coronavirus outbreak on USS Theodore Roosevelt. Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly said at the time Crozier was removed because he sent the letter, which subsequently leaked, over "non-secure unclassified email" to a "broad array of people." Modly would later resign after controversially telling the Roosevelt crew that Crozier was either "too naive or too stupid to be a commanding officer." He apologized for "any confusion this choice of words may have caused," saying he doesn't "think Capt. Brett Crozier is naive nor stupid."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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