COVID-19
Navy Updates Face Covering Rules: What You Need to Know
WASHINGTON (NNS) — Since April 5, the Navy has required the wearing of cloth face coverings for all military, Navy civilian and contractors as well as family members while on DoD property, installations and facilities when maintaining proper social distancing between people isn’t possible.
Those rules, laid out in NAVADMIN message 100/20, remain in effect. Now, the Navy’s top uniformed personnel official, Vice Adm. John B. Nowell has issued further guidance in NAVADMIN 194/20 on face coverings which can be worn in uniform and how to get them.
“Initial face covering guidance facilitated immediate wear and availability of face coverings as one of several COVID-19 protective measures,” Nowell wrote. “Procurement, design and wear guidance was less defined pending the availability of more durable and conservative designed government procured face coverings.”
This initial flexibility was by necessity, Nowell said, to quickly put personal protective equipment (PPE) in the hands of Sailors and provided unit commanders flexibility in procuring face coverings through “multiple sources, designs, colors and durability,” allowing them to “rapidly field face coverings to their personnel.”
Since design type and configuration have been narrowed for wear with the uniform, here’s what you need to know about what can be worn and how to get them.
When worn in a Navy uniform, face coverings must still meet the standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and can be purchased by individuals or issued by commands.
Functionally, they must be made of at least two layers of cloth fabric and fit snugly and comfortably, covering the chin and extending over the bridge of the nose. They must not interfere with wearing eyeglasses or cause them to fog. Single-layer face covering already available through Defense Logistics Agency and Navy Exchange Service Command are acceptable and meet standards.
Fastening devices must be neutral in color and made of elastic, cord, string and loop. They must tie around the back of the ears or back of the head. It’s ok to use face coverings with barrel lock devices but only in areas where safety and Foreign Object Debris restrictions aren’t an issue.
Face coverings worn in uniform must overall be conservative in appearance, non-offensive and exhibit nothing that will bring discredit upon the wearer or the Navy.
Only face coverings made of plain neutral colors — specifically black, brown, tan, white, grey, green, blue can be worn. No lettering/wording, logos, symbols, prints or patterns are authorized.
The only exception is the option to wear coverings with camouflage patterns that match the Navy’s existing camouflage pattern uniforms.
Commands have the option of buying face coverings through Defense Logistics Agency or through open purchase if those available through the supply system “do not meet mission requirements,” Nowell wrote. Purchase through the Navy Exchange is also available.
For further details, see NAVADMIN 194/20 which contains stock numbers for face coverings in all seven authorized colors. In addition, the message contains contact information for both uniform and supply points of contact in this issue.
COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update, July 2, 2020
Here’s a link to this DoD press release:
COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update, July 2, 2020
COVID-19 Life Support Training Update
BLUF – The purpose of this memorandum is to update policy guidance within the Military Health System for American Red Cross life support training (First Aid/cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)/automated external defibrillator (AED), Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ALS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)). As military medical treatment facilities (MTFs) transition to normal operations, no further extensions for the above life support certifications will be granted after June 30, 2020. Personnel whose certifications expired between March and June 2020 have up to 120 days to get recertified. This also applies to providers who have American Heart Association cards.
Here’s the full memo.
Leave and Liberty now Exempt from COVID Travel Restrictions
WASHINGTON (NNS) — Effective immediately, leave and liberty outside the local area of your command is exempt from ongoing COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper approved the leave exemption for all military on June 29. The Navy’s rules for implementation came in NAVADMIN 189/20 on July 2.
Approval authority for leave outside of the local area will be determined by the echelon 2 commander. Delegation of that authority can not be lower than the unit commanding officer, officer-in-charge or equivalent — Branch Head, Division Director, etc.
All other guidance for transitioning from a stop movement to a conditions-based phased approach to personnel movement and travel, remains in place.
“Commanders and supervisors will conduct a risk assessment of the health status and travel itinerary for personnel requesting leave or liberty outside the local area,” wrote Vice Adm. John B. Nowell, Jr., the Navy’s top uniformed official in the message.
Commands also have the responsibility of reviewing a Sailor’s travel plans to verify they have a plan to both keep themselves safe, as well as ensure they don’t become a vector of infection when they return.
Sailors should not go on leave or liberty out of the local area if they have a fever or display any other symptoms that could indicate COVID-19 infection. In addition, Sailors should not travel if they have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus within the past 14 days.
Before departure, commands must establish with their travelers a means of reliable communication. This allows for quick access for reacting to any circumstances that arise during leave or liberty.
While traveling away from their home area, Navy Service members must comply with any Department of Defense, federal, state, or local restrictions in place due to COVID-19.
The latest DoD policies are at https://www.defense.gov/explore/spotlight/coronavirus.
Navy Publishes Leaders’ Handbook for COVID Guidance
WASHINGTON (NNS) — Navy leadership published a COVID-19 Leaders’ Handbook containing current Navy guidance on COVID mitigation measures and procedures 30 June as a reference for leaders throughout the fleet.
The handbook will act as a quick guide for leaders both ashore and at sea to educate their teams on the threat COVID poses to the Navy and give them key information on prevention and mitigation procedures.
As new information and research about the coronavirus comes available, the Navy updates and publishes guiding documents to inform and assist the fleets in their decision making processes. This handbook distills and collates key high-level guidance into one place to more easily allow leaders to make informed decisions and thrive within the COVID-19 environment.
The handbook will assist commands in the completion of their missions both at sea and ashore as they become accustomed to the “new normal” of operating in a COVID-19 environment. Guidelines require commands to establish and maintain COVID-free bubbles, adhere to the established prevention protocols, and be ready to fight through COVID outbreaks while continuing to provide mission assurance.
The handbook includes information on how COVID spreads, and promotes Public Health Mitigation Measures like self-monitoring and reporting, physical distancing, washing hands frequently, and wearing masks to prevent the spread of the disease that have been proven as effective tools in fighting the virus.
The handbook also covers protocols for containment in the event that there is an outbreak in addition to outlining the process of conducting methodical contact tracing to identify service members who may have been in close proximity to a COVID-positive Sailor.
“The handbook is designed to provide Leaders at all levels with a common understanding of the latest science, show them that current USN guidance is grounded in that science, provide them tools to prevent, and when necessary, contain COVID-19.” said Rear Adm. Will Pennington, Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations and Plans.
Newly established sentinel surveillance testing protocols are also outlined as a key resource for unit commanders to potentially identify asymptomatic COVID-positive individuals. The handbook stressed that scientific data informs operational guidance and frequent updates will be made.
“This handbook reinforces how individual responsibility and simple public health mitigation measures are critical to protecting the team, and is written to allow young leaders to distill and then disseminate the most pertinent guidance so we can successfully operate through this pandemic,” explained Rear Adm. Karl Thomas, Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy.
The Navy will continue to protect the health of the force and proactively fight complacency within the ranks. The Navy is prepared to fight and overcome the challenge of operating in a COVID-19 environment while delivering decisive sea power on, above, and under the sea.
To view and download the US Navy COVID-19 Leaders’ Handbook click here https://allhands.navy.mil/The-Way-Forward/US-Navy-COVID-19-Leaders-Handbook
Navy Establishes COVID-19 Surveillance Testing Program
Here’s a link to this article:
NAVNORTH FRAGO Summary Graphics
Here are the graphics that summarize the COVID-related restrictions due to the NAVNORTH FRACO recently released:
COVID-Related Updates on PCSing/Travel, Promotion Boards, and Changes to Military Health System
Here are two good documents that explain the recent PCS/travel updates:
Conditions-Based Movement Fact Sheet
Here is a newsletter with an article on the restarting of promotion boards:
MyNavy Sailor to Sailor – JUNE 2020
In brief, it says:
- Although the boards were postponed, those who are selected for promotion can expect to be assigned the original date of rank and receive any back pay and allowances they’re warranted.
- Sailors’ Official Military Personnel Files will be reviewed as of the original board convening date and their eligibility will remain the same.
- Deadlines for letters to the board remain the same as originally set, except for the Reserve E-7 Board, which had a deadline of May 18, 2020, to compensate for delays in their eligibility determination. The remaining deadlines remain the same to maintain a fair and impartial balance across the fleet, but Sailors are encouraged to submit a letter if they feel their eligibility is unclear.
- Officer promotion boards require additional reviews and results are expected to be approved and announced 100 days after a board adjourns.
Here’s a link to Military.com and Federal News Network articles about MHS changes:
Big Changes to Military Health System Will Be Delayed, Top Health Official Says
DoD pressing ahead with plans to close, realign medical facilities despite GAO warnings
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 