Photo: Douglas Stutz / DVIDS / Courtesy
A radical new order issued by the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin makes face masks mandatory at all times for everyone on military bases, with very few exceptions.
According to a memorandum published Thursday, masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus must now be worn even outdoors and when people can maintain a distance of six feet, circumstances in which it was previously allowed not to use them.
Exceptions to the order are:
1) when a person is alone in an office with walls from the floor to the roof and door closed
2) for short periods of time when eating and drinking, while maintaining distance in accordance with CDC guidelines and instructions from commanders and supervisors
3) when the mask is required to be lowered e briefly for identification or security purposes
4) when necessary to reasonably accommodate a person with a disability
Austin said his new memo brings the Department of Defense into compliance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and follows an executive order from the 20 January President Joe Biden that requires all employees on federal property to wear masks.
The new guide also clarifies what kinds of skins are acceptable. Disposable cloth and non-medical masks are allowed, but cloth masks thin enough to let light through, those with vent valves, and “novel or non-protective” masks are prohibited. Face shields also cannot substitute for masks, says the memo.
The memorandum reiterates hygiene and hand washing, and requires that all non-household members must stay six feet apart at all times, a real practical challenge in indoor workspaces.
The new rules come as the military approaches a quarter of a million COVID cases – 19 and has exceeded 250 deaths within the Department of Defense, as reported by military.com . Nationwide, more than 455, 000 people have died from the virus.
