ALCOAST 046/21 - FEB 2021 COVID-19: CALENDAR YEAR 2021 TRAVEL AND LEAVE SITREP 1

R 111643Z FEB 21
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST

UNCLAS
ALCOAST 046/21
SSIC 6200
SUBJ: COVID-19: CALENDAR YEAR 2021 TRAVEL AND LEAVE SITREP 1
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 021304 NOV 20/ALCOAST 396/20
B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 231347 APR 20/ALCOAST 150/20
C. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 011820 JUN 20/ALCOAST 259/20
D. COVID-19 PLANORD (series)
E. DHS Deputy Under Secretary for Management Memorandum
17 March 2020
F. DOD Foreign Clearance Guide
1. This ALCOAST cancels REF (A) and provides all Coast Guard (CG)
members with travel and leave policy as it relates to the 2019
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The intent of this ALCOAST is to
revise procedures for leave and foreign travel.
2. Major revisions include the following:
    a. Domestic/Non-foreign Official Travel. Approval level is
unit CO/OIC or first O-5/GS-14 in the chain-of-command.
    b. Domestic/Non-foreign Leave/Leisure Travel. Approval level
is CO/OIC, their delegate or the first O-5/GS-14 in the
chain-of-command.
3. Domestic/Non-foreign Travel. All personnel must be aware of
changing conditions in locations they intend to travel to and
through when making travel decisions. The best way to access
that information is through the state, local, tribal, or
territorial public health authorities. The CDC maintains a link
to all state and territorial health departments here:
https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/healthdirectories/health
departments.html. For questions or assistance in understanding
this information, contact your local or nearest CG clinic.
Health Safety and Work Life and CG Clinic contact information
can be found at:
https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-1/cg112/docs/pdf/HSWL%20
Clinic%20POC%202019.rtf.
    a. Official Travel.
        (1) Official travel within the U.S. is authorized for
essential, time-sensitive missions, understanding that the
number of time-sensitive missions will increase the longer
that travel restrictions are in place. The unit CO/OIC or
first O-5/GS-14 in the chain-of-command must balance
risk-to-mission and risk-to-member before authorizing
official travel.
        (2) FORCECOM units are at varying stages of operating
capability. FORCECOM will continue to resume readiness activities
as the situation allows. For the current status of all FORCECOM
readiness activities (AIA, Exercise Support, Class “A” and “C”
schools), refer to https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/forcecom/ETQC/
SitePages/Home.aspx. Waiver or cancellation requests for “A” or “C”
schools due to COVID-19 travel concerns require approval from the
first O-6/GS-15 in the chain-of-command.
        (3) SELRES and IRR. IAW REF (B), The performance of IDT
and ADT-AT remain mission essential activities ensuring individual
mobilization and unit readiness to respond to contingencies.
However, Commands are encouraged to provide maximum flexibility
to their Reserve members, while balancing operational readiness
with exposure risk, especially those reservists who travel from
outside of the reasonable commuting distance to their units in
order to minimize exposure and maximize readiness if activation
is required.
    b. Leave/Leisure Travel.
        (1) Military Personnel, including Reservists on Active Duty,
are authorized local travel while on leave or liberty. For the
purposes of this message, local travel is defined by the CO/OIC
and should be informed by and generally aligned with state and
local jurisdictional posture. Travel outside of these locally
defined zones while on leave or liberty must be discussed with
and approved by the CO/OIC, their delegate or the first O-5/GS-14
in the chain-of-command. When considering requests to travel beyond
the local area, Commands should weigh all risk factors including
state and local government posture at the destination, mode of
transportation, planned activities, lodging, and precautions
taken by the requesting traveler. Before approving travel outside
the local area, Commands should weigh the impacts if
quarantine/ROM/isolation are required post travel. Members are
reminded to follow CDC guidelines for safe interactions in public
whenever on leave or liberty.
        (2) All members are reminded to follow CDC travel
advisories that provide information about travel conditions.
        (3) Commands must ensure all members of their command
are aware and understand applicable measures of REF (C) to
reduce the risk of exposure, preserving force health readiness.
    c. Commanders should continue to monitor CDC/state/local
health officials’ guidelines in conjunction with local transmission
assessments to safeguard the workforce through proper preventative
and mitigation measures and conduct appropriate and frequent
counseling for personnel both on and off duty.
4. Foreign Travel. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is
issuing Travel Health Notices (THNs) for impacted locations.
A list of THNs can be found at:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/.
    a. Official Foreign Travel. IAW REF (E),
http://dhsconnect.dhs.gov/org/comp/mgmt/policies/Directives/
122-03.pdf, CG official travel for all employees to locations
that the CDC has issued a Level 2 or higher THN is restricted
to only mission essential, time-sensitive work that cannot be
handled via distance or remote means. For any official foreign
travel, Commanding Officers/Commanders should assess the risk
to mission using the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Flowchart (REF D,
Enclosure 2). Personnel who are permanently stationed in a foreign
country shall follow the guidance of the cognizant Department of
Defense/Combatant Command (DOD/CCMD) or Department of State (DOS)
Chief of Mission (COM), as applicable.
    b. Leave/Leisure Travel.
        (1) Military Personnel, including Reservists on
Active Duty. Leave travel to or through foreign countries
or territories is prohibited, to include leave that was
previously approved. In extenuating circumstances, members
may request a waiver, with final approval authority at the
first Flag Officer/SES in their chain of command. For personnel
stationed overseas, follow the guidance of the cognizant DOD/CCMD
or DOS/COM, as applicable.
        (2) Civilian Personnel, Reservists not on orders, Dependents,
Auxiliarists, and Non-Appropriated Fund Personnel (NAF). Leave or
leisure travel to or through foreign countries or territories is
highly discouraged. Consult the CDC and DOS travel advisory
websites prior to making any decision.
    c. Requirements. Commands and personnel are reminded to strictly
adhere to the requirements of REF (F) found at:
https://www.fcg.pentagon.mil/fcg.cfm in requesting and approving
any foreign travel.
    d. Contractors. Contract personnel that have traveled
(or plan to travel) to or through foreign countries or
territories are required to notify their Contracting Officer’s
Representative.
    e. CG military and civilian employees who reside in CG-owned
housing, who are returning from personal travel from or through
a location that the CDC has issued a Level 2 or higher THN should
follow the guidance in Para 7.
    f. Dependents of CG personnel and guests. Members whose
dependents reside in CG-owned housing must notify the local
housing officer/authority if their dependents or guests return
from a location that the CDC has issued a Level 2 or higher THN.
    g. Auxiliary. Auxiliary members returning from personal travel
from or through a location that the CDC has issued a Level 2 or
higher THN are authorized to participate in CG activities or
visiting CG units and should follow the guidance in Para 7.
5. PCS travel. For guidance on PCS travel, refer to the latest
COVID-19: Impacted Assignment Year 21 (AY21): PCS and HHG Shipments
SITREP.
6. Travel and Leave Approval. Units should make every
effort to grant leave for military members when the risk is
acceptable.
7. Quarantine/Isolation. Commands have discretion in determining
whether members returning from foreign travel from a country with
an active CDC travel advisory must quarantine. However, members
returning from foreign travel must still abide by all local rules
concerning quarantine when not acting in the course of their
official duties (e.g., driving to work).
8. COVID-19 Duty Status. Commands must not charge leave while their
military members are in a COVID-19 related duty status. COVID-19
related duty statuses include ROM, Isolation, and Quarantine.
9. The CG maintains a website with authoritative documents,
frequently asked questions, and a link to submit your questions.
This site is updated continuously and should be referenced first,
and often: https://www.uscg.mil/Coronavirus/.
10. For comments or questions, please contact the Office of Military
Personnel and Policy, COMDT (CG-1331) at:
HQS-PolicyandStandards@uscg.mil.
11. RADM J. M. Nunan, Assistant Commandant for Human Resources
(CG-1), sends.
12. Internet release is authorized.