Navy identifies sailor who died of COVID-19 on Sunday

A Navy sailor who died of coronavirus-related complications earlier this week has been identified as Aviation Electrician’s Mate (Mechanical) 1st Class Cory Weber.

Weber, 51, died Sunday at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas after he tested positive for COVID-19 on Sept. 17 and was hospitalized on Sept. 20, the Navy said in a Wednesday statement.

He had been assigned to the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Command in Fallon, Nev.

“We mourn alongside the family, friends and shipmates of Petty Officer Weber during this extremely difficult time, and we ask that their privacy be respected,” according to the statement.

The release did not say whether Weber had received any COVID-19 vaccines, which active-duty Navy sailors are required to have done in full by Nov. 28. Reserve sailors, meanwhile, have until Dec. 28.

Nearly 90 percent of active-duty sailors are fully vaccinated, while 68 percent of reserve sailors are fully immunized.

As of Wednesday, there have been 246,720 reported cases of coronavirus among service members and 62 have died as a result of the virus, according to Pentagon data.