EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Department of Defense released new guidance April 5 to ensure the health and safety of service members, civilian employees and their families in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effective today, all individuals on Eglin property and facilities will wear cloth face coverings when they cannot maintain six feet of social distance in public areas or work centers. This includes all military personnel, civilian employees, family members, DoD contractors and all other individuals on Eglin property and facilities.
Team Eglin will phase in wear of masks this week, while continuing to support ongoing mission essential activities.
Everyone should fashion face coverings from household items or common materials, such as clean T-shirts or other clean cloth that can cover the nose and mouth area. Medical personal protective equipment such as N95 respirators or surgical masks will not be issued for this purpose as these will be reserved for the appropriate personnel.
“The safety and well-being of the Eglin Force and our families will always be my top priority,” said Brig. Gen. Scott Cain, 96th Test Wing commander. “We will always provide our personnel the most up-to-date information on appropriate measures to prevent the spread of the virus.”
The base will continue to actively implement health protection conditions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 consistent with the Centers for Disease Control, state guidance and coordinated with the Air Force Medical Service and the Defense Health Agency to protect people, mission readiness and to support the whole-of-government efforts.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
The DoD policy can be found at on their website.
CDC guidance on how to use and make cloth face coverings can be found on their site.