Defense Secretary says "we're not at that point" of evacuating crew from virus-stricken ship

Defense Secretary Mark Esper told CBS' "Evening News" Tuesday he doesn't think "we're at that point" of evacuating a nuclear aircraft carrier docked in Guam with more than 100 crew members infected with the novel coronavirus.

The big picture: The captain of the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt has asked the U.S. Navy for more resources. Esper said he'd yet to read the letter in detail, but they're trying to contain the virus aboard the ship. "We're providing additional medical personnel as they need it," he said. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly told CNN earlier Tuesday they were working to remove most of the 4,000 people on board the vessel.

"Well, I have not had a chance to read [USS Roosevelt commander's] letter, read it in detail," Def. Sec. Esper says. "I'm going to rely on the Navy chain of command to go out there and assess the situation and to make sure they provide the captain & crew the support they need." pic.twitter.com/ROPEn2Ibb4

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) March 31, 2020