ALCOAST 096/21 - MAR 2021 COVID-19: CALENDAR YEAR 2021 TRAVEL AND LEAVE SITREP 2

R 092141Z MAR 21
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST

UNCLAS
ALCOAST 096/21
SSIC 6200
SUBJ:  COVID-19: CALENDAR YEAR 2021 TRAVEL AND LEAVE SITREP 2
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 111643Z FEB 21/ALCOAST 046/21
B. COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA 262024Z FEB 21/ALCOAST 074/21
C. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 231347 APR 20/ALCOAST 150/20
1. This ALCOAST cancels REF (A) and revises procedures for
foreign/domestic leave and travel. Due to current trends of
the pandemic combined with the national vaccination effort,
leave and travel approval policies, except for unofficial
foreign travel, are returned to pre-pandemic status. However,
leave and travel approving officials should weigh individual
member vaccination status (vaccinated versus un-vaccinated)
and site specific location COVID-19 conditions when conducting
readiness risk assessment and approving leave and travel requests.
2. COVID-19 Local Restrictions. Members are reminded that they
must adhere to local restrictions and guidelines when not acting
in the performance of official duties.
3. Travel.
   a. Official Travel (Foreign/Domestic). Official travel 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. Commands must
balance risk-to-mission and risk-to-member before authorizing
travel. Local restrictions do not apply to official travel (i.e.
ROM once entering a particular state, etc).
      (1) 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 and policy (AIA, Exercise Support, Class “A”
and “C” schools), refer to:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/forcecom/ETQC/SitePages/Home.aspx
and REF (B).
      (2) SELRES and IRR. IAW REF (C), The performance of IDT
and ADT-AT are 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 (Domestic). Domestic leave/leisure travel
for Military Personnel, including Reservists on Active Duty,
is authorized. 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.
   c. Leave/Leisure (Foreign). Foreign leave/leisure travel
for Military Personnel, including Reservists on Active Duty,
is authorized but requires command endorsement and first Flag
Officer/SES in chain of command approval. 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/. Commands
should consider THNs as a factor when deciding to endorse leave
for foreign travel.
   d. PCS travel. For guidance on PCS travel, refer to the latest
COVID-19: Impacted Assignment Year 21 (AY21): PCS and HHG Shipments
SITREP.
4. Leave Approval. Units should make every effort to grant leave
for military members when the risk is acceptable.
5. Quarantine/Isolation. Commands have discretion in determining
whether members traveling to/from an area with an active
CDC travel advisory or other local restrictions must quarantine
with regards to official duties, to include considering vaccination
status. However, members must still abide by all local rules
concerning quarantine when not acting in the course of their
official duties.
6. COVID-19 Duty Status. COVID-19 related duty statuses include
ROM, Isolation, and Quarantine. Commands must not charge leave
while their military members are in a command directed COVID-19
related duty status from official (domestic and foreign) or
unofficial travel (domestic). For unofficial foreign travel,
commands can require members to use personal leave as a condition
of the request, as other countries may require ROM as a condition
of entry or the THN may specify quarantine upon return.
7. 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/.
8. For comments or questions, please contact the Office of
Military Personnel and Policy, COMDT (CG-1331) at:
HQS-PolicyandStandards@uscg.mil.
9. RADM J. M. Nunan, Assistant Commandant for Human Resources (CG-1), sends.
10. Internet release is authorized.