Defense Department to relax travel restrictions

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that it will be relaxing some COVID-19 related rules on personnel movement and travel provided that conditions are met.

"While the COVID-19 pandemic still presents risk to DOD Service members, their families, and our civilian workforce, improving conditions warrant a transition in our approach to domestic and overseas personnel travel to a conditions-based, phased approach to personnel movement and travel," the Department announced on Tuesday.

"Conditions to resume unrestricted travel rests on two overarching factors: 1) state and/or regional criteria based on the administration’s Opening Up America Again guidelines and 2) installation-level factors based on conditions on and surrounding DOD installations, facilities, and locations," the Department said.

Some of the factors in making determinations include whether shelter-in-place orders are lifted and whether coronavirus symptoms and cases decrease in areas. 

"Consideration of factors such as removal of shelter-in-place orders and a downward trend of new COVID-19 cases over the preceding 14 days will be used to make a determination for the resumption of movement between states, regions and nations," Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Matthew P. Donavan said.

Regarding the needed 14 days of decreases Donovan said that the decrease can have already occurred and those areas can "go-green, if you will, immediately."

Other factors include issues like "whether there are local travel restrictions, sufficient capacity at medical treatment facilities or local hospitals, testing capability and capacity and the availability of essential services such as schools and child care," Donovan said.