▁the ▁disease , ▁but ▁his ▁super iors ▁b alk ed . ▁After ▁several ▁days ▁Cro z ier ▁e - ma iled ▁three ▁of ▁his ▁superior ▁officers ▁and ▁seven ▁other ▁Navy ▁Capt ains , ▁out lin ing ▁a ▁plan ▁for ▁the ▁ship ▁to ▁be ▁largely ▁ev acu ated ▁because ▁the ▁virus ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁contained ▁on ▁board . ▁The ▁letter ▁le aked ▁to ▁the ▁press , ▁and ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁the ▁Navy ▁ordered ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁crew ▁to ▁be ▁taken ▁ash ore , ▁but ▁the ▁captain ▁was ▁rel ieved ▁of ▁command ▁by ▁Act ing ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Navy ▁Thomas ▁Mod ly . ▁Mod ly ' s ▁order ▁was ▁controvers ial , ▁and ▁his ▁later ▁speech ▁to ▁the ▁crew ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁Ro ose vel t ▁was ▁critic ized . ▁Mod ly ▁res igned ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁later . ▁By ▁mid - A pril ▁hundreds ▁of ▁crew ▁members ▁including ▁Cro z ier ▁had ▁tested ▁positive ▁for ▁the ▁virus , ▁and ▁one ▁had ▁died . ▁ ▁Tim eline ▁In ▁spring ▁ 2 0 2 0 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁aircraft ▁car rier ▁ ▁was ▁on ▁deployment ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁The ▁ship ▁visited ▁Gu am ▁on ▁ 7 ▁February ▁ 2 0 2 0 , ▁when ▁a ▁cru ise ▁ship ▁was ▁denied ▁entry ▁to ▁Gu am ▁for ▁fear s ▁of ▁the ▁virus . ▁The ▁first ▁cases ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁coron av irus ▁pan demic ▁in ▁Gu am ▁were ▁confirmed ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁March ▁ 2 0 2 0 ,