WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will transition to Health Protection Condition level Charlie at 6 a.m. on July 19 in response to steadily rising cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations in surrounding counties.
"In accordance with DoD guidance published on June 29, I am transitioning Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to HPCON Charlie effective at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in response to the Centers for Disease Control elevating both Greene and Montgomery Counties to the "High" Community Level,” Col. Christopher Meeker, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander said. “We will continue to consistently apply DoD and Air Force guidance as CDC data for the local community changes."
The base will not declare a public health emergency at this time.
To maintain compliance with the most current DOD COVID-19 Force Health Protection Guidance, indoor mask-wearing is required for all individuals, including Service members, DoD Civilian and Contractor personnel and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.
Mask wear continues to be mandatory at the Wright-Patterson Medical Center.
There are four operational changes base personnel will see:
- Less than 50 percent of normal occupancy in the workplace where mission permits
- Mandatory screening testing for unvaccinated personnel
- Indoor mask wear is mandatory except for specific instances which meet the following DoD FPCON exception criteria:
- When an individual is alone in an office with a closed door and floor-to-ceiling walls
- During brief periods of time when eating and drinking while maintaining distancing
- When the mask is required to be lowered briefly for identification or security purposes
- When necessary as a reasonable accommodation for a person with a disability or to reasonably accommodate participation in a religious service
- When clear or unrestricted visualization of verbal communication is required for safe and effective operations (e.g., air traffic control, emergency dispatch, police/fire/emergency services)
- When engaged in training in which mask wearing is not feasible or creates a hazard, such as swim qualification, amphibious, and aquatic training events
- When individuals are alone (or with members of their household or close social pod) in their housing, private outdoor space, or personally owned vehicle
- When personnel are operating machinery, tools, and/or other items during the use of which a mask would present a safety hazard (for example, the use of a gaiter may be needed for flight line safety reasons);
- When environmental conditions are such that mask wearing presents a health and safety hazard (e.g., extreme elevated temperatures)
- When individuals are enrolled in a respiratory protection program and are wearing a respirator during the performance of duties requiring respiratory protection
- Limited social gatherings to less than 50% of room occupancy
As Wright-Patt works through this latest wave of COVID-19 rates, base employees are urged to keep the following in mind:
- Know the rules about when to isolate (member is sick or COVID positive) and quarantine (member is a close contact).
- Wright-Patterson Medical Center has booster shots available to all eligible beneficiaries. Although not mandatory, having a booster shot eliminates the need to quarantine at home for five days if identified as a “close contact.”
- Wear a mask for 10 days if you test positive or are a close contact.
- Practice good hygiene and physical distancing.
- If you are sick, stay home and get tested.
Public health officials noted, that national trends indicate that this latest wave is transitory and community levels are expected to reduce back to low in short time.
The base is working very hard to minimize disruption to customer service functions and ask for your patience if we do experience delays in some areas. All community support, morale and business functions will remain open with additional restrictions in place for mask wear and spacing.
Specific event and scheduling information for each function will be advertised on all official base communication platforms. Stay tuned for more updates as WPAFB’s Public Health team closely monitors the local area or visit the COVID-19 website for more information: www.wpafb.af.mil/coronavirus.
To see current FSS facility operating impacts and hours, please visit https://www.wpafb.af.mil/coronavirus/Facility-Operations