COVID 19 Updates

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
General Information
DOD has set up a dedicated page with information on its response to the Coronavirus at www.defense.gov/Explore/Spotlight/Coronavirus. The page includes guidance specific to the Pentagon Reservation and DOD offices and facilities in the National Capital Region. In addition, recent DOD news articles on Coronavirus are available.

DOD Travel Restrictions
The Office of the Secretary of Defense issued a memorandum, “Travel Restrictions for DoD Components in Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019,” that restricts travel across the Department for the next 60 days. Restrictions began March 13, 2020. As a result, our industry partners should anticipate an increase in reservation cancellations and/or rebookings. More information on the restrictions can be found in its FAQs page.

• Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 20) Revision 1 – Department of Defense Guidance for Personnel Traveling During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic
• Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 18) Revision 1 – Department of Defense Guidance for Protecting All Personnel in DOD Workplaces During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement23) Revision 2 – Department of Defense Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Attestation, Screening Testing, and Vaccination Verification
• Update to Conditions-Based Approach to Coronavirus Disease 2019 Personnel Movement and Travel Restrictions
• DOD COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update
• Modification and Reissuance of DOD Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 – Travel Restrictions
• Message to the Force: Modification and Extension of COVID-19 Travel Restrictions 
• Transition to Conditions-based Phased Approach to Personnel Movement & Travel Restrictions
• DOD Travel Restrictions Fact Sheet
• Force Health Protection Guidance for DOD Personnel traveling during the COVID pandemic
• 12 APR DoD Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 20) – DoD Guidance for Personnel Traveling During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

OSD Stop Movement Order
Yesterday, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper enacted a 60-day stop movement order for all DoD uniformed and civilian personnel and their sponsored family members overseas, effective today. It impacts exercises, deployments, redeployments, and other global force management activities.

This order builds upon the previously enacted movement restrictions governing foreign travel, permanent change of station moves, temporary duty and personal leave, which was announced on March 11, 2020 through memorandum, “Travel Restrictions for DoD Components in Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019“

• Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 23) – DOD Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Attestation and Screening Testing for Unvaccinated Personnel
• DD Form 3150 – “Certification of Vaccination”
• Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 9) – DOD Guidance for Deployment & Redeployment
• Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 18) – Department of Defense Guidance for Protecting All Personnel in Department of Defense Workplaces During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic
• Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 16) – Department of Defense Guidance for Deployment and Redeployment of Individuals and Units During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

DLA’s RFI for determining industry capabilities for providing PPE
The DLA Troop Support Clothing & Textiles Directorate is conducting market research to determine industry capabilities for providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) against viral contamination, specifically COVID-19. This is a Request for Information only and not a solicitation for award.

Find a Procurement Technical Assistance Center
More than 300 local PTAC offices serve most areas of the country. If there is not a PTAC office that serves your specific area, contact one that is nearest to you, and they may be able to help you. Most PTACs can also provide assistance via phone, e-mail, and web call in cases where distance presents a challenge.

Contracting with the DOD—Supporting the Response to COVID-19
A memo from DOD Defense Pricing and Contracting that along with the Defense Acquisition Toolkit provide essential information for any business that might wish to create or expand their relationship with the Department of Defense during the COVID-19 response.

• Defense Pricing and Contracting (DPC): COVID-19 Guidance Provided for the Contracting Community (UPDATED)

• Managing Defense Contracts Impacts of the Novel Coronavirus

From the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment:

• Contract Place of Performance – Public Health Considerations
• Defense Industrial Base Contract Considerations
• Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment Capabilities
• Guidance for Assessment of Other COVID-19 Related Impacts and Costs
• Message to the Defense Industrial Base
• Memo on Temporary Redeployment of Certain Contractor Employees from Iraq and Syria and Request for Information

DOD Guidance on the Use of Cloth Face Coverings
SECDEF directive for all personnel on DOD installations to wear facemasks/coverings when 6′ of distance cannot be maintained.

Delegation of authority for passenger, cargo, and patient movement during COVID-19 public health emergency

CARES Act

• Class Deviation – CARES Act Section 3610 Implementation
• Implementation Guidance for Section 3610 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

Defense Production Act
Information on the Defense Production Act

• Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III overview and a description of the DPA Title III white paper process.

Telework Guidance
Guidance for Use of Embedded Computer Capabilities and External Computer Peripherals in Telework Environments

 

DTMO Resources
The Defense Travel Management Office maintains and updates a coronavirus webpage. While this page is directed toward travelers, there is good information available there for all concerned.

Bus Carriers/Operators
We understand the significant impact that Coronavirus (COVID-19) is having on the travel industry.  It is for this reason that the Defense Travel Management Office is extending the Military Bus Agreement #4 termination date until April 30, 2020.

DoD-approved carriers that do not apply for the DoD Bus Agreement #5 will not be able to bid on future DoD moves after this date. The termination of Military Bus Agreement #4 does not affect the rights or obligations that have vested or accrued prior to the effective date of such termination.

All carriers, including DoD-approved carriers, interested in participating in the DoD Bus Program under DoD Bus Agreement #5 must submit a new DoD Bus Program Carrier application at: https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/dod_bus_program_application/.   

Please be patient as we work to quickly approve applications and answer your questions. The processing time to review bus applications is taking longer than expected due to the increased workload related to COVID-19. We will continue to monitor the situation and will adjust the termination date if needed.  

If you have any questions, please email us at: dodhra.mc-alex.dtmo.mbx.military-bus-program@mail.mil.

FEMA recently updated the COVID-19 Healthcare Resource Roadmap to assist state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) partners with the unprecedented challenges associated with healthcare support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance: All-Hazards Incident Response and Recovery

FEMA COVID-19 Update

FEMA COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Update

How to help during the coronovirus outbreak

FEMA Regional POC

Industry Liason Program information

Critical Transportation as Part of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce Information

Information regarding providing aid and doing business with FEMA in support of COVID-19 response: Consolidated Resources and Information for NBEOC Business and Infrastructure Partners and COVID-19 Background & Additional Information

FEMA Administrator April 15, 2020, letter to Emergency Managers

FEMA FACT SHEET Coronavirus: (COVID-19) Pandemic – Addressing PPE Needs in Non-Healthcare Setting

FEMA COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Update.

Coronavirus Acquisition-Related Information and Resources

The Acquisition Policy Library (check Acquisition Letters, Class Deviations, and Other Documents for updates)

DRAFT DOD Process for Section 3610 Reimbursement: Implementation Guidance
Instructions on making comments to draft guidance

Defense Industrial Base

• Letter from the Secretary of Defense
• Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Guidance on Contract Closeout Deadlines

Small Businesses
Valuable information about Small Business Loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is available at (information based on the Care Act): www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources#section-header-2

• Small Business Best Practices Memo
• Small Business Resources by Agency
• DLA’s COVID-19 Contingency Corridor – A restricted storefront within FedMall allowing Department of Defense (DoD) Small Business Federal Government Contractors to exclusively browse and shop for non-medical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and similar material offered by the commercial supplier community in support of the Federal COVID-19 relief effort.
  • Information for Suppliers
  • Information for Buyers

Trucking
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is giving an hours of service exemption to truckers hauling supplies related to the coronavirus outbreak. The order, issued late Friday, says the exemption applies to those trucks hauling supplies related directly to “the immediate restoration of essential services, such as medical care, or essential supplies such as food.”

For more details, visit FMCSA emergency declaration outlined for drivers. The OOIDA Coronavirus information page also contains pertinent information such as virus-related notifications from the states.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have launched a new Commercial Routing Assistance (CRA) tool for truckers and other commercial drivers in the US.

Air Carriers
US and foreign aircrews are subject to the approved Occupational Health and Safety Plans established by their employers.  Beyond that, US Government COVID-19: Interim Health Guidance for Air Carriers and Crews has been provided jointly by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and can be accessed through the FAA website and CDC website.

Aircrews following their carrier’s Occupational Health and Safety Plan, as well as the FAA-CDC crew health guidance, will be considered compliant with coronavirus health requirements and are not subject to further screening or restrictions applicable to other travelers. As long as they remain asymptomatic, crew members may continue to work on flights into, within, or departing from the United States.

Additional interim guidance for crew on passenger or cargo flights and for first responders may also be found through the CDC website for Updated Interim Guidance for Airlines and Airline Crew: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Persons with Potential Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Runway to Recovery: The United States Framework for Airlines and Airports to Mitigate the Public Health Risks of Coronavirus

The McKinsey & Co. COVID Response Center
A collection of interviews, tools, webinars, data bases, case studies, and helpful guides on how to tackle the crisis from a variety of perspectives.

• McKinsey & Co. Supply Chain Recovery Planning Insights
• From the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition (C19HCC):

COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition (C19HCC) Resources:
The C19HCC has launched a COVID-19 Decision Support Dashboard. This new tool synthesizes large amounts of complex, essential data into easy-to-use key findings for public and private-sector leaders navigating the “reopening” of communities and businesses.

The C19HCC Supply Chain Working Group has released a white paper, Preparing Supply Chain Operations for the Next Phase of the COVID-19 Response.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS)
The impact on the PCS season is too early to assess. The JTR does a pretty good job of providing policy guidance in these situations. So far, DTMO has made only one change to the JTR as a result of the potential isolation or quarantine of our travelers during their PCS. Approval by the PDTATAC is imminent:

040102. Allowances if Isolation or Quarantine is Required When Returning from Government-Funded Leave Travel
If a public health official, medical official, or authorizing/order issuing official orders a Service member to isolate or quarantine before proceeding to the PDS, then the Service member may be issued TDY orders and is authorized standard travel and transportation allowances in accordance with JTR, Chapter 2.  If lodging in kind or meals in kind are provided, then per diem is not payable.

050106. Isolation or Quarantine
If a public health official, medical official, or authorizing/order issuing official orders a Service member and a Service member’s dependents to isolate or quarantine after detaching or signing out of the unit, then per diem is payable for both the Service member and dependents at the location specified in the orders. If the Service member or dependents are required to travel to an alternate location, then standard PCS allowances are paid in accordance with JTR, Chapter 5, Part A. If lodging in kind or meals in kind are provided, then per diem is not payable.

050603. Isolation or Quarantine is Required After Arrival at the New PDS and Before TLE Begins
If a public health official, medical official, or authorizing/order issuing official orders a Service member and a Service member’s dependents to isolate or quarantine after arrival at the new PDS and before TLE begins, then the Service member and dependents are authorized per diem in accordance with JTR Chapter 5, Part A. If lodging in kind or meals in kind are provided, then per diem is not payable.

050816-D
Isolation or Quarantine. If a public health official, medical official, or authorizing/order issuing official orders the dependent to isolate or quarantine, then per diem is authorized.  If the dependent’s orders are amended to travel to an alternate location, then transportation and per diem are authorized in accordance with JTR Chapter 5, Part A.  If lodging in kind or meals in kind are provided, then per diem is not payable.

Allowances if Ordered to Delay Proceeding after Departing or Detaching from the Old PDS

1. Service Members. If a Service member is ordered to temporarily return to the old PDS or to an alternate location, then the Service member should be issued TDY orders and is authorized standard travel and transportation allowances in accordance with JTR, Chapter 2.  If the Service member is ordered to remain in place or to an alternate location to await transportation, then per diem may be authorized in accordance with JTR Chapter 5, Part A.  If lodging in kind or meals in kind are provided, then per diem is not payable.
2. Service Member’s Dependents.  If the Service member’s dependents are ordered to remain in place awaiting transportation, then per diem may be authorized in accordance with JTR Chapter 5, Part A.  If the dependents are ordered to temporarily return to the old PDS or to an alternate location to await transportation, then the dependents are authorized standard PCS allowances from the location where notified of the delay to the location named in the amended PCS order, in accordance with JTR, Chapter 5, Part A.  If lodging in kind or meals in kind are provided, then per diem is not payable.