Defense Dept. Orders Military Personnel to Wear Face Masks Due to COVID-19

In a Sunday memo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper ordered military personnel and other individuals on Defense Department property to wear “cloth face coverings” in light of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s coronavirus guidance. The memo specifically said individuals on DoD property will have to wear face masks when individuals could not “maintain six feet of social distance in public areas or work centers[.]” The memo also advised DoD employees, family members, and contractors to “follow CDC guidelines on the use of cloth face coverings in public settings or where other social distancing.” While N95 masks and other personal protective equipment would not be distributed for this purpose, the memo advises individuals to “fashion face coverings from household items or common materials” like “clean T-shirts and other clean cloths that can cover the nose and mouth area.” This comes after the CDC advised the public to put on cloth face masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Despite the agency’s advisory, President Trump said he was “choosing not to” wear a mask.