On March 14, [Guam Governor] Leon Guerrero declared a state of emergency across the island —
Eleven days after issuing her emergency declaration, the governor received a call from Rear Adm. John Menoni, the commander of Joint Region Marianas. A handful of sailors on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt were being medevaced to U.S. Naval Hospital Guam.
A massive warship battling a fast-spreading outbreak among a crew of 4,800 was on its way to Guam, and Leon Guerrero had no authority to stop it. At first, the Navy told her it would keep the entire Theodore Roosevelt crew confined to the base. It soon became apparent that it would need much more room....
If the number of sailors who require hospitalization grows, the base could quickly run out of space to provide proper treatment. Naval Hospital Guam has six I.C.U. beds and at least 15 ventilators, according to the Navy. An additional 12 acute care beds and six critical care beds with ventilators were added in the past two weeks. On base, the elementary and secondary schools, the gym, the Navy Lodge and some older barracks have been converted to housing for sick sailors. About 230 sailors and Marines from a Japan-based medical battalion arrived on the island earlier this week to help the Navy’s medical staff test and treat sailors
The Navy is in the process of testing every sailor on board, with results taking up to 96 hours...
That’s part of the agreement Leon Guerrero said she struck with the Navy. To protect its own population and health care system — which includes one private and one public hospital — the carrier’s sailors are to have no contact with civilians. “I made it very adamant that sailors are not to go to the beaches, they are not to go outside,” Leon Guerrero said. “So far they are complying.”
The Navy has assured Leon Guerrero that its presence will not hurt Guam’s health care system, she said, adding that the service has helped with testing and supplies and has delivered 35 additional ventilators to the island.
Outside the base’s perimeter, residents are preparing for the possibility that their own outbreak could overwhelm local resources. As of Friday, Guam had a total of 130 cases of the coronavirus, including four deaths. The hospitals have been able to manage the flow of patients so far, but the island could require as many as 6,000 hospital beds by June, according to Dr. Felix Cabrera, a member of Leon Guerrero’s physician's advisory group.