As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact the U.S., the Pentagon is taking steps to keep its employees safe and to set a good example for the rest of the country.
The facility updated its mask guidelines for the facility in the month of July, and mask mandates were added not long after. The Pentagon changed its rules in order to comply with the CDC and direction from the DoD.
How the mask mandate has changed
According to the DoD, the Pentagon’s Director of Administration & Management has made it mandatory to “wear a mask in an indoor setting in installations and other facilities owned, leased or otherwise controlled by DoD in the Pentagon Reservation.” All service members, federal employees, onsite contractor employees and visitors must follow these guidelines, even if they are fully vaccinated.
The original mask mandate and all subsequent updates issued by Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Jamal Brown have been published in a document called the “Updated Mask Guidance for the Pentagon Reservation.” The goal of the guidelines is to protect government employees and to set a good example for the rest of the nation, through the CDC suggested guidance.
The CDC guidelines
The Pentagon’s updated mask requirements came only a day after the CDC changed and updated its mask suggestions and mandates. The mandate requires people in “substantial or high transmission” areas to wear a mask, and that includes the Pentagon and several military bases. The new mandates came as a result of the pervasive Delta variant. Here are some of the most notable changes that the updated CDC mandate made that the Pentagon followed:
- Mask suggested for even those who are vaccinated.
- Masks recommended, regardless of transmission level.
- Testing and isolation suggested for those before and after travel.
Pentagon aims to protect employees with new safety guidelines
On August 23, 2021 Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made it mandatory for all active service members and Pentagon employees to be vaccinated as well. This came on the heels of the FDA approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
With the combination of the vaccination and updated mask mandates, the DoD and the Pentagon are taking steps to stop the spread of coronavirus and its variants. There is no excuse for visitors, as the memorandum says, “Personnel coming on to the Pentagon Reservation or other facilities who do not have a mask may be provided one by DoD.”
As the world continues its struggle against the COVID-19 virus, the U.S. DoD will lead the battle against the pandemic on its bases and facilities.