The Pentagon is giving the green light for personnel movement to more states and countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic, though some installations are retightening restrictions as cases increase in specific areas.
The Defense Department on June 29 updated its list of “green locations,” where personnel are allowed to travel, leaving just three states—California, Michigan, and Florida—off limits. Additionally, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico are “green,” along with the countries of Bahrain, Belgium, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
Pentagon policy states travel to locations can continue with the removal of shelter-in-place orders or other restrictions, there’s a 14-day downward trajectory of flu-like and COVID-19-like symptoms, and a 14-day downward trajectory of new COVID-19 cases. Individual services can assess specific installations for further restriction if necessary, according to the DOD.
Though cases have increased in some states in recent days, such as Arizona and Texas, they are still considered “green” for DOD travel.
Some individual bases, however, are putting in place new restrictions, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., for example announced that effective July 1, the base is only open to mission critical personnel, with DOD card holders only allowed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. Personnel need to maintain social distancing when possible and wear facial coverings in public areas. Personnel need to show their face covering at security checkpoints to be able to enter the base, according to a 633rd Air Base Wing release.
“Positive cases across Langley and Fort Eustis have increased, with a concerning uptick within the last week,” the wing said. “Unfortunately, these increased positive cases have been realized not only in Active-duty personnel, but dependents and our retiree population.”
At Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, which recently raised its Health Protection Condition level to Charlie, the Brooke Army Medical Center is delaying elective surgeries to go along with a state order.
As of June 30, there are a total of 17,116 military cases to include Active-duty personnel along with civilians, dependents, and contractors. There are 1,366 cases in the Air Force.