JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
A WORD FROM THE CC | Hello Griffins and valued mission partners! As the holiday season approaches I am excited, not only for myself, but for our entire community to be able to spend valuable time with family, friends and loved ones. I hope each Joint Base Andrews member takes the time to reflect and be thankful for what is most important to them.
With that being said, we must remain vigilant in enforcing social distancing and safety procedures to protect against COVID-19. Over the weekend the County Executive of Prince George’s County, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, issued Phase 2 COVID-19 guidelines to mitigate the risk of community spread. These guidelines include a 10-person restriction for indoor activities and a 25-person restriction for outdoor activities. Additionally, multi-layer cotton or surgical masks that cover both the mouth and nose at all times are now required in public locations both outdoors as well as indoors.
This advisory comes due to the rise in COVID positive cases that we’ve seen in the area over the last few weeks. Prince George’s County’s positivity rate is now above the 5% threshold while the infection rate is 1.15%. Please remember that COVID-19 is still a very real threat and these numbers place our county in the “high-risk” category.
Over the last few months, we saw our surrounding community begin to reopen; however, we cannot afford to let our guard down now due to this latest surge in cases. I caution against complacency as we move forward and encourage everyone to continue to practice social distancing and wear a mask properly. I want to reiterate the importance of following these procedures to not only protect yourself but also to protect our families, friends and neighbors in the community.
The presence of a pandemic brings unique challenges to this holiday season, and we must now more than ever make sure we are taking care of each other and taking care of ourselves. I encourage everyone who has the opportunity to celebrate the season with loved ones to do so - but to do it safely! This means focusing on our relationships and engaging in healthy activities that make us stronger in all respects, while also following guidelines to keep each other safe during these times of adversity. Our nation needs us to be ready, always.
For information regarding the operating status of JBA facilities, please continue to visit the JBA website: https://www.jba.af.mil/Home/COVID-19-Coronavirus/Base-Services-Activity-Status/
For more details on Phase 2 COVID-19 Guidelines for Prince George’s County please visit the following link: https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3298.