HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) – Joint Base Langley-Eustis declared a base-wide public health emergency on Friday that restricts further access to the installation.
The restrictions begin on March 27 and will remain in place for a minimum of 30 days. The emergency order allows for termination and extension depending on the state of the country as the pandemic continues.
This announcement comes shortly after the U.S. surpassed all other countries, leading the world in the highest number of reported confirmed coronavirus cases. The base declared this in an effort to keep everyone safe and healthy while remaining mission ready.
“This declaration allows greater access to health care resources, and broader authority to limit access onto the installation, and restrict the movement of residents. In the coming days we will further limit access to mission essential personnel only,” said Col. Clint Ross Installation Commander, Joint Base Langley-Eustis. “Additional details on these restrictions will follow early next week. This declaration provides JBLE additional avenues to fight COVID-19 and achieve the greatest public health benefit while maintaining operational effectiveness.”
In a statement released, Ross stated that “This decision will be met with some criticism and frustration, but I know the majority of the base population and surrounding community will understand and will continue to encourage those around them to take every step to help prevent the spread of the virus.”
We will update this article as more information becomes available.