EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Below are the questions and answers from the Virtual Townhall meeting March 20. As situations change daily, some of the information may have already changed from when the questions were initially answered.
Q- Will the pharmacy be closing any time soon or at all due to the coronavirus?
A- The pharmacy is open. Currently, there are currently no plans to close at this time. We are taking proactive steps, to include reducing the number of pharmacy customers in the waiting areas and encouraging drive-thru and mail order options. To ensure social distancing occurs, most chairs in our waiting areas have been removed. Patients will be asked to self-scan their ID card instead of handing ID cards to our staff. Refill turn-around times have been extended to 72 hours to accommodate beneficiaries seeking a 90-day supply of medications to reduce the number of visits to the base. If the pharmacy, radiology department, or lab closes to outside physician orders, we will make the public aware. We are tracking national-level guidance on potential relief from co-pays closely and will share any information that becomes available.
Q- What are you doing about and/or for families who are currently separated due to an unaccompanied tour/deployment? Specifically, healthcare workers who are expected to work that are high risk such as asthmatic or pregnant?
A- Mission essential capabilities (i.e., test, base defense, healthcare) will continue to operate during the pandemic. The 96th Test Wing commander ordered each unit commander/director to contact deployed family members and review family care plans as a health protection measure. The 96 TW also directed health protection condition measures to include limiting gatherings, maximizing telework, utilizing protective equipment in appropriate settings, and ensuring strict hygiene in all work centers. These measures are designed to limit the number, time, and intensity of exposure within our base population and local community.
Q- I am active duty and was informed I will be doing Covid-19 screening in the ER next week. My husband stays at home with our two kids and he is a diabetic. Diabetes is listed under people who have underlying medical conditions and are at higher risk for severe illness according to the CDC website. I am worried I could possibly carry Covid-19 home to my husband and wondering if I am still mandated to perform screening in the ER next week?
A- The demands on healthcare providers during this pandemic are likely to be significant. We appreciate your dedication to the care you provide to our patients. We also appreciate the concern for your family members at home. The measures you can implement to protect your family members require changes to our personal habits. First, follow the established protocols for screening patients with an influenza-like illness, and stay current with the evolving guidance as we learn more about COVID-19. Second, ensure strict adherence to infection control measures to reduce your personal exposure. Third, limit exposure of family member to clothing and supplies that you may bring home. Fourth, consider the role of social distancing at home without sacrificing communication and support within your family.
Q- What are the effects of the virus to women who are pregnant. My wife is currently seven months pregnant and we cannot find much information regarding pregnant women that may have been exposed to someone potentially infected. Has the wing received any guidance on this?
A- Available data appears to show a similar complication rate in pregnant females when compared to other adults of the same age and health status. The medical community continues to learn more about this novel virus every day, and we are eagerly awaiting the results of clinical trials of vaccination and treatments. You will likely notice that obstetric clinics have separated obstetric patients from ill patients. In addition, labor and delivery units are strictly limiting visitors. The management of newborns and mothers will follow CDC recommendations and continue to evolve as the medical community learns more about COVID-19.
Q- How does the base plan to solve the lack of cleaning supplies available to the squadrons?
A- The 96th Medical Group has provided guidance to all Team Eglin leaders on the use and effectiveness of cleaning products; as well as the process to purchase supplies (i.e., bleach solutions, hand soap). Please note, that many of the supplies we already use are effective for reducing the risk of COVID-19.
Q- Understand that test kits are limited. Do we expect that to change? Will more become available?
A- Testing at the 96th Medical Group and local civilian hospitals is limited by the national shortage of testing supplies. State and DOD public health laboratories are prioritizing testing for individuals most likely to benefit from the results of the test. Many individuals with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 can be treated symptomatically with common medications. Furthermore, public health measures can be implemented based on the illness, regardless of test results until more capability is available.
Q- Perhaps one of the SMEs could provide some background on why COVID-19 is not “just like the flu”.
A- COVID-19 is a novel virus not closely related to influenza, and there does not appear to be large-scale protective immunity due to vaccinations or prior exposure. The number of young, healthy people with severe complications is higher than influenza and low compared to many other contagious respiratory illnesses. The number of patients requiring hospitalization and supportive care is higher than influenza. The medical community continues to learn more about this novel virus every day, and we're eagerly awaiting the results of clinical trials of vaccination and treatments.
Q- Is the wing going to push to have the workforce properly equipped and postured to telework for situations like these instead of scrambling at the last minute and having ineffective means of getting work accomplished?
A- This event obviously unfolded faster than most DOD resourcing could respond, so we were forced to work with what was on hand. In general though, units can and should be purchasing laptops over desktops for most standard AFNET users. Eglin, as an installation, utilizes the waiver guidance of the SAF IT purchase moratorium, to authorize laptop purchases for nearly six months. The individual units have the control on when and what they purchase. (Telework access issues are answered below.)
Q- I have been given the option to telework, however, all systems do not work remotely, which in turn affects the mission. We must go into the office and handle work that cannot be done remotely. As a result there are still more than a handful of people in the office at any given time. What hard measures will be taken to ensure that social distancing occurs on the job?
A- The DOD and Air Force have been struggling to stretch limited telework capabilities that were never built for this load. All AF telework methods (e.g. mobile devices, OWA, VPN) tie back to shared AF Enterprise IT resources, and do not hinge upon Eglin's network. 16 AF (ACC), AFLCMC/HNI and SAF/CN are scrambling to increase capacity across these methods, but they are still far short. VPN has a total capacity of 71K users for the entire AF (up from 7K last week), and OWA is limited during peak hours. The DOD CIO also began limiting social media traffic (YouTube) to preserve capacity for core work. As ACC and AFLCMC provide updates, we'll be sure to pass those along. We request utilizing these resources judiciously and disconnect when able, so other teammates can do the same.
Additionally, the Communication Squadron and Cybersecurity Test Group have been coordinating, as late as last night, on a potential collaboration app (through DOD PlatformONE) that would be accessible at work and at home without the need for a VPN connection. They are in the early stages of testing, but believe we may have a potential platform to handle distributed For Official Use Only work, at least across the Test Wing, for continued iteration.
Q- Will you be testing the caregivers and children at the CDC if they are required to be at work during this time?
A- CDC is taking the temperatures all caregivers and children as they enter the classroom. Testing for COVID-19 will be based on medical recommendation.
Q- What will be done for those NAF workers such as housekeeping that are older employees (those who are vulnerable)?
A- If conditions exist and the Installation commander authorizes Vulnerable populations as determined by CDC can either telework or be placed into administrative leave if telework is not an option
Q- If CDCs and School Age programs are to continue to be available, what measures are being put in place to ensure the total number of workers/kids to be less than the recommendation of 10 people?
A- The CDC and School age program are working to reduce the number of children in the facility. Currently, we are asking each parent who is teleworking or otherwise at home to keep their children at home during this time. During this time, you may telework and care for your child. For those children at home, will not charge those families and they retain their slot in the program. Although we will not get to under 10 in each classroom, we are doing everything we can to reduce the number of children in the program as we support the missions of Team Eglin.
Q- Have mitigating procedures such as checking temps of all workers and children each day been considered?
A- Yes, we are taking the temperatures of each child and each caregiver has been given guidelines to immediately self-report for any signs of sickness.
Q- Has drop-in care been temporarily discontinued until this pandemic has subsided?
A- Yes, drop in for all Child and Youth programs care has been suspended at this time.
Q- If the CDC closes will civilian parents be put on admin leave due to their inability to work?
A- If the CDC closes, we ask each individual to work with their leadership on ways to provide care and continue to work as the mission dictates. Those planning factors are best made at the unit level. The installation commander may authorize admin leave if conditions dictate.
Q- Will we still be charged our normal fees or will we get to keep that money so we can use it to pay for a private provider?
A- If you are caring for your child at home during this time you will not be charged.
Q- “Orders” for telework/admin leave differ by organization. Base-level info has been “suggested.” Will there be a base-wide order?
A- We encourage telework across Team Eglin during this time. Guidance regarding telework has been sent out to all organizations. The installation commander may authorize admin leave if conditions exist.
Q- Please address the logic of keeping child care centers on post at full capacity when the goal is to depopulate and guard against the spread of this deadly virus? The caregivers are still required to work yet they are not mission essential.
A- The CDC and School age program are working to reduce the number of children in the facility. Currently, we are asking each parent who is teleworking or otherwise at home to keep their children at home during this time. During this time, you may telework and care for your child. For those children at home, will not charge those families and they retain their slot in the program. Although we will not get to under 10 in each classroom, we are doing everything we can to reduce the number of children in the program as we support the missions of Team Eglin.
Q- Why are the base fitness facilities closed to civil service employees when we work side by side with our military members daily?
A- We understand fitness is important for all Team Eglin members. However, during this time our focus is to keep our Airmen fit to fight and maintain our real-world deployment missions and minimizing exposure of COVID 19 to the facility.
Q- Why are the CDC’s still open? I feel like every day I bring my child to daycare I am instantly making them vulnerable to COVID-19.
A- Please know the CDC and youth programs are doing everything we can do ensure the safety of every child. If you have a concern, please work with your unit on options to telework/alternate schedules or options to provide care outside the CDC.
Q- If a civilian employee had an appointment to renew their CAC card but it was cancelled by 96 FSS because of COVID-19. Will that individual be able to get a new CAC before the expiration date of the old card of 12 Apr 2020?
A- We are not cancelling any mission essential appointments at this time. However, conditions are ever changing and further changes may be put in place in the future.
Q- Will General Cain be extending Commissary and Exchange shopping to civilians during this crisis?
A- No, Commissary will remain privileged customers only.
Q- CDC direction is to reimburse if the form is filled out today verifying if parent will be on test wing status each week starting 23 Mar through 18 Apr. However, think some clarification would be great or direction to update CDC payment process. When informing POCs at CDC we are on a weekly status on whether we will telework or not, it cannot be determined early (today) whether or not we can keep our children at home while we TW during this pandemic. Thus, how can we respond by COB today (19 Mar) to verify if we should be charged for the next 4 weeks? Could this be accomplished on a weekly basis? I know this will make it a little harder from a charge perspective, but during this pandemic, there should be a guarantee that if we do keep our children home we get full reimbursement whether it’s identified today or each week or daily. Our leadership has stated we are handling this on a day by day basis, I think it’s fair the CDC should be doing the same. If our children are home and we are teleworking, someone has to be there to babysit. The costs are offset from what is charged from the CDC to what a babysitter is being paid. Many cannot take the additional stress of not knowing if they will be double charged since they are in a state of having to be flexible on a daily/weekly status. What is being done to support those that are not aware daily/weekly what their work status will be or if a babysitter is even possible for daycare while dealing with this pandemic?
A- During this time, we ask for patience as the CDC staff works the administrative process to ensure each family is not charged if their child is not in the program. We understand there is a lot of uncertainty with each family's work schedule. We will work this process weekly and in some cases day by day. Rest assured you will not be charged if your child is at home.
Q- If base becomes closed to non-essential personnel will the commercial gates still be manned?
A- As the base continues to posture with COVID-19, we will continue to monitor and assess our posture and demands and adjust as necessary.