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Armed Forces News

Travel restrictions placed on all dod personnel and families.

The Defense Department has ordered a stop to all travel to, within or from 32 countries experiencing a CDC identified level-3 danger including Germany, France, Italy and South Korea.

The memo, which applies to all DoD military and civilian personnel and their families, is to extend 60 days through May 13 and applies to all forms of official travel including permanent change of station, temporary duty and government-funded leave.

DoD said the restriction applies to personal leave and other non-official travel for military personnel, and emphasized that anyone traveling should make sure flights to not transit through or originate in Level 3 designated locations.

Current Level-3 countries: Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Vatican City.

Travel restrictions applying to Level 2 designated locations have also been put in place for 60 days. Searchable CDC destination list: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list

All hiring actions for Level 2 and Level 3 locations have also been frozen – and that includes anyone already hired but not arrived at a duty station.

Exceptions are possible, but that’s up to combat commanders, service secretaries and chief management officers on a case-by-case basis (requiring a written exception, by no lower than the first general or flag officer or member of the Senior Executive Service in the traveler’s chain of command or supervision).

Individuals pending retirement or separation within the next 60 days are exempt, according to the memo: Travel Restriction for DOD Components in Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 .

DoD Travel Protocol for Covid-19 Surpasses CDC Guidance; Self-Quarantine

OPM Expands Guidance on Absence, Dismissal Due to Coronavirus Concerns

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DOD Officials Explain New Coronavirus Domestic Travel Restrictions

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Defense officials announced restrictions on domestic travel yesterday for service members, Defense Department employees and family members in response to the new coronavirus, or COVID-19.

Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Norquist signed a memorandum halting all domestic travel, to include permanent changes of station and temporary duty travel. The ban is in effect from March 16 to May 11.

Officials speaking on background said the new memo said that service members will only be authorized local leave only.

The ban is in addition to restrictions on all DOD military and civilian personnel and their families traveling to, from, or through areas for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice . That policy also stops PCS and TDY travel through May.

There are exceptions for hardship, mission essential and humanitarian travel, but those exceptions must be approved. Domestic travel for medical treatment is excluded from the ban. 

There are 10 service members who have tested positive for COVID-19. One DOD civilian and two DOD contractors have the virus, as do eight family members, officials said. There are 13 DOD laboratories that can test samples for the virus.

The officials said the new policy is aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus. Each day tens of thousands of service members and DOD civilians are traveling. This ''strategic pause'' is ''the best and safest route'' to slowing the spread of the virus, they said.

The Pentagon reservation is also taking actions and raised the health protection condition in the building and associated properties to Bravo. This means all tours of the building are cancelled. Starting March 16, offices in the building will go on minimum manning, with vast numbers of employees teleworking.

Offices in the building will have rotating staffs and ''red and blue'' teams. Those employees who require access to classified information to do their mission-essential tasks will work from the building, officials said.

The Pentagon will restrict access to employees with swipe card access, and will restrict international visitors. ''We are also restricting access of Pentagon officials who have been overseas in one of the CDC-defined Level 3 or 2 countries,'' officials said on background. 

As of today, the Level 3 countries are: China, Iran, South Korea, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City.

Personnel who return from these countries will be required to self-isolate for 14 days before being allowed back to work, officials said.

Pentagon officials are also closing employee fitness centers and said they are looking at other measures to lessen the chances of transmission.

Spotlight: Coronavirus: DOD Response Spotlight: Coronavirus: DOD Response:  https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Spotlight/Coronavirus/

Government Resources

www.coronavirus.gov

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus

www.usa.gov/coronavirus

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