Navy secretary gives update on quarantine of USS Theodore Roosevelt in Guam

close

Video

Navy evacuating thousands from carrier after COVID-19 outbreak

Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly breaks down the carrier evacuation and precautions put in place to protect sailors.

Navy Secretary Thomas Modly joined "Outnumbered Overtime" Thursday to discuss how the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is managing quarantine amid the coronavirus outbreak.

"We're doing this in a very methodical way to determine, 'What’s the minimum manning we need to have on the ship while we go through the protocols to make sure all the sailors have been tested for coronavirus?' And for those who test positive, that we make sure that they’re being quarantined," Modly said.

CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK STATE BY STATE

Roosevelt commanding officer Capt. Brett Crozier informed top Navy brass in a letter this week that his entire crew of roughly 5,000 sailors needed to be isolated after up to 200 sailors tested positive for the coronavirus

Three sailors on board the aircraft carrier tested positive last week, the first time the outbreak infected a deployed U.S. warship at sea. By Sunday, Fox News had confirmed 38 positive cases aboard the massive warship.

The Roosevelt pulled into port in Guam last week and Modly said earlier this week that the ship would be sidelined for at least a "couple of weeks."

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Modly said that between 700 and 900 Navy sailors can rotate through a "watch build" to maintain basic functions. 

"We’ve identified what those functions are," he said. "We’ve taken those people off and are testing them, making sure that they’re OK so we can slowly start bringing them back on the ship."

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.