WEBVTT 00:02.553 --> 00:03.820 - All right. 00:03.820 --> 00:04.840 Good morning everyone, 00:04.840 --> 00:07.670 and thank you for being with us this morning. 00:07.670 --> 00:08.830 I'm Lisa Hershman, 00:08.830 --> 00:12.450 I'm the Department of Defense Chief Management Officer. 00:12.450 --> 00:14.820 Joining me today are a host of folks 00:14.820 --> 00:17.770 that are going to help address some of your questions 00:17.770 --> 00:20.133 as it pertains to COVID-19. 00:21.410 --> 00:22.840 Today I have Tom Muir, 00:22.840 --> 00:24.776 our Acting Director of Administration, 00:24.776 --> 00:26.570 Dr. Dan Walsh, 00:26.570 --> 00:30.240 Acting Director for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, 00:30.240 --> 00:32.070 Brigadier General Paul Friedrichs, 00:32.070 --> 00:35.380 Joint Staff Surgeon, Joint Chief-of-Staff, 00:35.380 --> 00:36.480 Victoria Hinton, 00:36.480 --> 00:39.860 Principal Director of Civilian Personnel Policy, 00:39.860 --> 00:42.100 Lawrence Herbert, 00:42.100 --> 00:45.930 Deputy Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy, 00:45.930 --> 00:46.980 and Essye Miller, 00:46.980 --> 00:49.580 Principal Deputy for the CIO. 00:49.580 --> 00:50.870 Tom Muir and Dan Walsh 00:50.870 --> 00:53.640 have been leading the Pentagon Reservation's response 00:53.640 --> 00:55.183 to COVID-19. 00:56.220 --> 00:58.750 Today, the Pentagon, DOD offices, 00:58.750 --> 01:01.580 and facilities in the National Capital Region, 01:01.580 --> 01:04.769 are under Health Protection Condition Bravo. 01:04.769 --> 01:08.030 Tom Muir, when he speaks to everyone, 01:08.030 --> 01:11.360 will go into more detail as to what that means 01:11.360 --> 01:13.113 for the Pentagon Reservation. 01:14.260 --> 01:18.993 We have effectively canceled public tours as of March 12th. 01:18.993 --> 01:22.330 We have restricted unofficial visitors from entry 01:22.330 --> 01:24.428 into the Pentagon Reservation. 01:24.428 --> 01:28.310 Postponement or cancellation of ceremonies, 01:28.310 --> 01:30.890 of public gatherings in the Pentagon Reservation, 01:30.890 --> 01:34.545 including retirements, promotions, and swearings in. 01:34.545 --> 01:39.545 We are happy to take that ceremonial opportunity 01:39.780 --> 01:41.380 later in the summer, 01:41.380 --> 01:42.593 as it permits. 01:44.010 --> 01:46.660 Restriction for international partners and visitors 01:46.660 --> 01:49.080 from entry into the Pentagon Reservation 01:49.080 --> 01:51.140 has also gone into effect. 01:51.140 --> 01:54.209 They must register 24-hours prior, 01:54.209 --> 01:58.100 in the Pentagon Visitor Management System. 01:58.100 --> 02:01.050 Restriction from entry into Pentagon Reservation 02:01.050 --> 02:04.730 for military, government civilians, and contractors 02:04.730 --> 02:09.180 that have traveled internationally within the last 14 days, 02:09.180 --> 02:13.410 individuals must self-isolate for 14 days 02:13.410 --> 02:15.600 prior to entry into the Pentagon. 02:15.600 --> 02:17.840 They must self-identify travel, 02:17.840 --> 02:21.040 however PFPA will be asking at the Pentagon entrances 02:21.040 --> 02:23.040 beginning this week. 02:23.040 --> 02:25.363 The Pentagon Athletic Center in the Pentagon 02:25.363 --> 02:27.250 and it's satellite gyms 02:27.250 --> 02:30.220 at the Mark Center and Taylor Building 02:30.220 --> 02:34.270 are closed effective midnight last night. 02:34.270 --> 02:36.570 The Armed Forces Retirement Home 02:36.570 --> 02:40.733 has been upgraded to an HPCON Charlie level. 02:41.630 --> 02:44.620 Whenever our Pentagon Reservation, 02:44.620 --> 02:46.880 whatever level that we are at, 02:46.880 --> 02:48.700 the Armed Forces Retirement Homes 02:48.700 --> 02:50.780 will automatically go to the next level 02:50.780 --> 02:55.083 to protect our folks who are living in those facilities. 02:56.230 --> 02:59.145 I know how dedicated you all to the mission success, 02:59.145 --> 03:01.300 and I applaud you for it. 03:01.300 --> 03:04.893 I have had the privilege of working with a very strong team, 03:06.257 --> 03:07.090 many of them are standing behind me, 03:07.090 --> 03:10.490 to help make sure that everyone here is kept safe, 03:10.490 --> 03:14.830 and aware of the ongoing changes that are made, 03:14.830 --> 03:16.573 that are being made very rapidly. 03:17.550 --> 03:21.780 Now it's time to make sure that your health is protected, 03:21.780 --> 03:25.100 and that we make sure that if you are infected, 03:25.100 --> 03:27.570 that we help protect others. 03:27.570 --> 03:31.390 If you're feeling sick, we want you to stay home. 03:31.390 --> 03:33.399 It's so important to guard your health, 03:33.399 --> 03:37.206 and help us guard the health of those who work with you. 03:37.206 --> 03:41.000 Telework arrangements are going to be discussed, 03:41.000 --> 03:42.330 not only here today, 03:42.330 --> 03:46.890 but also, you need to discuss it with your supervisor. 03:46.890 --> 03:49.400 As you may have noticed, there are many folks, 03:49.400 --> 03:50.820 or that the Pentagon today 03:50.820 --> 03:53.260 seems a little bit more empty than usual. 03:53.260 --> 03:55.090 THat's because we're stress-testing 03:55.090 --> 03:58.853 some of the telework opportunities and arrangements. 03:59.853 --> 04:01.540 I want to make sure that you know 04:01.540 --> 04:04.610 that we will continue to provide updates 04:04.610 --> 04:07.440 and communications as necessary, 04:07.440 --> 04:08.970 because as I mentioned earlier, 04:08.970 --> 04:11.360 things are happening very quickly. 04:11.360 --> 04:12.690 If you have any questions 04:12.690 --> 04:15.023 about anything we're talking about today, 04:16.301 --> 04:21.301 send them to myself at the CMO Office, 04:21.380 --> 04:25.856 or any of the others here that we have standing before you. 04:25.856 --> 04:29.700 We have some folks that I want to introduce 04:29.700 --> 04:32.660 so that they can talk and answer your questions directly, 04:32.660 --> 04:34.050 and in more detail. 04:34.050 --> 04:36.630 So first up I will turn it over to Tom Muir. 04:36.630 --> 04:38.172 Tom, thank you. 04:38.172 --> 04:41.047 - Thank you ma'am. 04:41.047 --> 04:43.470 Good morning, my name is Tom Muir, 04:43.470 --> 04:44.303 as Miss Hershman mentioned, 04:44.303 --> 04:46.408 I am the Acting Director of Administration, 04:46.408 --> 04:47.680 and I'm also the Director 04:47.680 --> 04:49.710 of Washington Headquarter Services. 04:49.710 --> 04:50.750 Let me kinda begin 04:50.750 --> 04:52.860 by repeating what Miss Hershman talked about. 04:52.860 --> 04:55.670 Our priority is to protecting our people: 04:55.670 --> 04:58.230 that's you and your families. 04:58.230 --> 04:59.706 You are our first priority. 04:59.706 --> 05:02.658 We are adjusting our health protection conditions 05:02.658 --> 05:05.987 to protect you and those that work with you 05:05.987 --> 05:08.000 and those who work beside you, 05:08.000 --> 05:09.260 and your families when you go home 05:09.260 --> 05:11.080 at the end of the business day. 05:11.080 --> 05:13.348 Our second priority is to continue the mission. 05:13.348 --> 05:15.800 As you all know, the mission of the Department of Defense, 05:15.800 --> 05:19.758 to defend our nation both overseas and at home, 05:19.758 --> 05:22.440 is a sacred trust that the American people have in us 05:22.440 --> 05:24.810 to perform our duties, 05:24.810 --> 05:26.890 even during times of pandemic, 05:26.890 --> 05:29.090 such as the one we're facing today. 05:29.090 --> 05:31.690 Our third priority is to help our nation, 05:31.690 --> 05:33.300 and the interagency partners, 05:33.300 --> 05:36.540 adjust to the spread of COVID-19, 05:36.540 --> 05:40.456 and take positive actions to stop the spread in its tracks, 05:40.456 --> 05:44.480 to get ahead of the curve of continuing spread. 05:44.480 --> 05:47.860 The secretary is working with the military departments, 05:47.860 --> 05:49.610 and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 05:49.610 --> 05:50.740 and the Service Secretaries 05:50.740 --> 05:52.530 to address military requirements 05:52.530 --> 05:55.030 in support of our interagency partners. 05:55.030 --> 05:56.820 This is a whole of government approach 05:56.820 --> 05:58.054 being led by The White House 05:58.054 --> 05:59.936 and the Vice President's Office. 05:59.936 --> 06:01.460 Here in Washington Headquarter Services, 06:01.460 --> 06:03.790 let me dial back now to our protection 06:03.790 --> 06:05.380 of you and your families. 06:05.380 --> 06:07.703 I cannot overemphasize the discussion 06:07.703 --> 06:09.860 that Miss Hershman started with. 06:09.860 --> 06:13.510 If you're sick, stay home. 06:13.510 --> 06:18.150 If you become sick in the workplace, go home. 06:18.150 --> 06:20.884 Contact your primary care physician. 06:20.884 --> 06:24.960 Before you show up at your hospital or emergency room 06:24.960 --> 06:26.380 or point of care, 06:26.380 --> 06:28.901 call ahead if you believe there're symptoms 06:28.901 --> 06:32.690 of the novel coronavirus. 06:32.690 --> 06:37.533 Those symptoms are posted on www.whs.mil. 06:39.370 --> 06:41.040 There's a great chart there 06:41.040 --> 06:43.410 that provides the symptoms of COVID-19 06:43.410 --> 06:45.343 versus the symptoms of a flu, 06:45.343 --> 06:47.620 because we are still in flu season, 06:47.620 --> 06:49.470 and the symptoms of a cold. 06:49.470 --> 06:52.781 But the symptoms I'd ask you to pay attention to 06:52.781 --> 06:57.406 are a fever and a dry cough and body aches and headache. 06:57.406 --> 06:59.490 Those are not symptoms associated 06:59.490 --> 07:01.380 with flu or cold for the most part, 07:01.380 --> 07:03.040 particularly the dry cough. 07:03.040 --> 07:06.943 Fever, dry cough, headache or body aches. 07:06.943 --> 07:11.943 Use the chart, www.wh, whs, sorry about that, .mil. 07:13.780 --> 07:16.235 We're trying to post as quickly as we can. 07:16.235 --> 07:18.045 As Miss Hershman mentioned, 07:18.045 --> 07:21.590 many of the team members are working 24/7 07:21.590 --> 07:24.656 to ensure you have the most relevant and current information 07:24.656 --> 07:28.332 available for you to make decisions with your supervisor 07:28.332 --> 07:30.448 about your particular workplace, 07:30.448 --> 07:34.316 your workstation, your ability to telework, 07:34.316 --> 07:37.660 your eligibility to telework based on your position, 07:37.660 --> 07:40.955 and your capability to telework based on your equipment 07:40.955 --> 07:45.600 and your particular mission that you support. 07:45.600 --> 07:49.570 Many of us require secret or top secret access 07:49.570 --> 07:51.410 for many of our classified systems 07:51.410 --> 07:53.520 to conduct our daily business. 07:53.520 --> 07:56.750 That obviously is not available at your home 07:56.750 --> 07:58.950 in a telework situation. 07:58.950 --> 08:01.632 Therefore, much of our unclassified work 08:01.632 --> 08:05.060 is much more applicable to a telework situation 08:05.060 --> 08:06.320 where you're working out of your home, 08:06.320 --> 08:09.813 or a specific telework location, an alternate location. 08:09.813 --> 08:11.867 I've also received a number of questions, 08:11.867 --> 08:15.853 and you sent questions ahead, on mass transit. 08:16.710 --> 08:18.650 We are keeping an eye on mass transit for you. 08:18.650 --> 08:21.090 For many of you that work in the Pentagon Reservation, 08:21.090 --> 08:22.497 that's the Pentagon, the Mark Center, 08:22.497 --> 08:25.410 and our leased buildings in the National Capital Region, 08:25.410 --> 08:29.270 you know that WMATA and other mass transit agencies 08:29.270 --> 08:31.500 are going to Saturday schedules. 08:31.500 --> 08:35.160 That does limit your availability to arrive to work on time, 08:35.160 --> 08:37.813 particularly if you're waiting on the next bus to show up. 08:37.813 --> 08:39.900 They're operating trains every 12 minutes, 08:39.900 --> 08:41.300 not every five minutes. 08:41.300 --> 08:44.270 Plan for that in your travel 08:44.270 --> 08:45.840 if you're a mission-essential employee 08:45.840 --> 08:48.120 coming into work at the Pentagon Reservation. 08:48.120 --> 08:49.873 Plan for that as part of your daily work. 08:49.873 --> 08:51.730 We're also getting questions on, 08:51.730 --> 08:52.760 can we open up parking. 08:52.760 --> 08:54.360 And the answer is, we are looking at that, 08:54.360 --> 08:56.245 and we'll adjust to the circumstances, 08:56.245 --> 08:57.690 particularly if we change 08:57.690 --> 08:59.580 our Health Protection Condition to Charlie, 08:59.580 --> 09:03.120 which is one level up from where we currently are today. 09:03.120 --> 09:05.770 Now let me explain why we made the change Sunday night 09:05.770 --> 09:07.985 to Health Protection Condition Bravo. 09:07.985 --> 09:10.200 Once again, go back to our first priority 09:10.200 --> 09:12.200 of taking care of you and your families. 09:13.299 --> 09:14.460 There are a number, 09:14.460 --> 09:17.586 as you can watch both the open-source media report on it, 09:17.586 --> 09:21.053 or I encourage you go keep in contact with your state 09:21.053 --> 09:23.040 or local public health departments 09:23.040 --> 09:24.820 on their official websites, 09:24.820 --> 09:28.160 there are now 93 positive COVID-19 cases 09:28.160 --> 09:30.340 in the National Capital Region. 09:30.340 --> 09:32.650 93 cases in the National Capital Region, 09:32.650 --> 09:34.683 that's in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. 09:35.710 --> 09:37.640 That number continues to rise 09:37.640 --> 09:40.290 as public health authorities take appropriate measures 09:40.290 --> 09:43.182 to stop the spread of COVID-19. 09:43.182 --> 09:46.490 You need to help us stop that spread. 09:46.490 --> 09:49.080 If you are sick, stay home. 09:49.080 --> 09:51.090 If you become sick in the workplace, 09:51.090 --> 09:54.040 seek medical care and go home. 09:54.040 --> 09:57.510 We're asking if you have traveled internationally overseas, 09:57.510 --> 09:59.510 remain home for 14 days 09:59.510 --> 10:01.790 before you come back to the workplace. 10:01.790 --> 10:02.623 That protects you, 10:02.623 --> 10:05.040 it protects your colleagues and coworkers, 10:05.040 --> 10:06.575 and it protects your family. 10:06.575 --> 10:09.470 Same for the colleagues and coworkers 10:09.470 --> 10:10.630 of the cubicle next to you. 10:10.630 --> 10:14.370 If they traveled overseas within the last 14 days, 10:14.370 --> 10:16.210 self-isolate at home. 10:16.210 --> 10:17.564 If you want to know the definition, 10:17.564 --> 10:19.670 CDC has published that 10:19.670 --> 10:23.523 on www.cdc, Center for Disease Control, .gov. 10:25.200 --> 10:29.780 A great website that explains what stay at home means. 10:29.780 --> 10:31.809 It means don't go to the grocery store, 10:31.809 --> 10:34.230 don't go out to bars and restaurants, 10:34.230 --> 10:35.620 don't do your social activities, 10:35.620 --> 10:37.790 maintain social distancing. 10:37.790 --> 10:40.299 What does social distancing mean? 10:40.299 --> 10:42.603 Six feet between individuals. 10:43.970 --> 10:46.860 We are staggering desks and locations, 10:46.860 --> 10:49.773 utilizing video teleconference like this town hall. 10:50.820 --> 10:53.690 Teleconferences just using telephones. 10:53.690 --> 10:55.823 Virtual presence or virtual work. 10:57.130 --> 10:59.250 Remain more than six feet apart from each other, 10:59.250 --> 11:02.673 no handshaking, no high fives, no personal contact. 11:03.530 --> 11:07.730 That protects your health, your family's health, 11:07.730 --> 11:10.910 and your coworker's health and their family's health. 11:10.910 --> 11:12.710 All of us need to take actions 11:12.710 --> 11:15.440 to reduce the threat we pose to others, 11:15.440 --> 11:18.220 and the threat that we pose to ourselves and our families 11:18.220 --> 11:22.412 by exposing ourselves to workspaces or colleagues 11:22.412 --> 11:25.230 inside that social distancing range. 11:25.230 --> 11:26.748 So once again, 11:26.748 --> 11:27.581 I'd encourage you 11:27.581 --> 11:30.200 to live up to your social distancing requirements. 11:30.200 --> 11:31.110 One final note, 11:31.110 --> 11:32.660 in Health Protection Condition Charlie, 11:32.660 --> 11:33.810 we'll have additional measures. 11:33.810 --> 11:37.960 Stay tuned to the website, www.whs.mil, 11:37.960 --> 11:39.700 where the latest information will be posted 11:39.700 --> 11:41.980 and available to you 24/7, 365. 11:41.980 --> 11:44.420 And with that I'll turn it over to the Acting Director 11:44.420 --> 11:46.670 of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, Dan Walsh. 11:46.670 --> 11:47.503 Dr. Walsh. 11:49.620 --> 11:50.453 - Thank you Tom. 11:51.930 --> 11:53.290 Good morning, I am Dan Walsh, 11:53.290 --> 11:56.250 Acting Director for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. 11:56.250 --> 11:58.870 PFPA's mission has always been to protect you, 11:58.870 --> 12:00.372 those who protect our nation. 12:00.372 --> 12:02.880 We police and serve the best population 12:02.880 --> 12:05.640 any police department or force protection provider 12:05.640 --> 12:07.230 could ask for. 12:07.230 --> 12:08.063 During this time, 12:08.063 --> 12:09.640 we appreciate all the support that we've received 12:09.640 --> 12:10.920 and your cooperation 12:10.920 --> 12:13.640 as we change some of the building operations. 12:13.640 --> 12:15.090 We thank you for that. 12:15.090 --> 12:16.520 The measures we have talked about today 12:16.520 --> 12:18.840 refer not only to the Pentagon, 12:18.840 --> 12:20.270 but also to the Mark Center, 12:20.270 --> 12:21.520 the Defense Health Headquarters, 12:21.520 --> 12:23.560 the US Court of Military Appeals, 12:23.560 --> 12:26.047 and any building within the National Capital Region 12:26.047 --> 12:30.100 where WHS or PFPA supports. 12:30.100 --> 12:31.320 A little more on the details, 12:31.320 --> 12:34.610 just to foot stomp what Miss Hershman had provided. 12:34.610 --> 12:39.500 We have stopped Pentagon tours, those are suspended. 12:39.500 --> 12:41.933 Unofficial tours, that means the friends and family tours 12:41.933 --> 12:44.440 that I think we've all enjoyed as Pentagon tenants 12:44.440 --> 12:46.026 over the years, 12:46.026 --> 12:47.453 are currently suspended. 12:48.480 --> 12:49.360 Official visits, 12:49.360 --> 12:51.050 we are prohibiting visits 12:51.050 --> 12:54.510 by our international partners and visitors. 12:54.510 --> 12:58.250 So official visits are limited to US persons. 12:58.250 --> 12:59.240 We are encouraging you 12:59.240 --> 13:01.010 to conduct any of these visits remotely, 13:01.010 --> 13:02.498 or reschedule them for a later date. 13:02.498 --> 13:05.300 There is a waiver process identified, 13:05.300 --> 13:06.540 and a waiver authority identified, 13:06.540 --> 13:08.863 on the whs.mil website. 13:10.001 --> 13:12.530 All Pentagon facility occupants 13:12.530 --> 13:15.610 must swipe at all perimeter access control points 13:15.610 --> 13:19.190 to include the Pentagon River and Mall entrances. 13:19.190 --> 13:20.637 This is so we can support accountability 13:20.637 --> 13:23.763 as we respond to any of these incidents in the future. 13:24.930 --> 13:26.728 Official visits by US persons will continue, 13:26.728 --> 13:28.320 and as Miss Hershman said, 13:28.320 --> 13:30.340 we ask that you register all these visits 13:30.340 --> 13:32.010 in the visitor management system. 13:32.010 --> 13:34.710 That link is on the WHS website. 13:34.710 --> 13:36.260 For those you escorting visitors, 13:36.260 --> 13:39.090 since we do have reduced gatherings and meeting size, 13:39.090 --> 13:41.080 we have limited the number of visitors you can escort 13:41.080 --> 13:42.593 at any given time to three. 13:43.840 --> 13:45.930 We are relying on you, the tenants, 13:45.930 --> 13:48.400 to declare your recent international travel, 13:48.400 --> 13:50.870 and to self-isolate for 14 days 13:50.870 --> 13:53.510 immediately following your return to United States. 13:53.510 --> 13:55.940 On the 15th day we welcome a very healthy version of you 13:55.940 --> 13:57.770 back into the force. 13:57.770 --> 14:00.300 As more and more of you transition to telework, 14:00.300 --> 14:02.330 it's important to be security conscious. 14:02.330 --> 14:04.600 We are gonna be posting some guidance 14:04.600 --> 14:05.940 on how you can protect you, 14:05.940 --> 14:08.880 your personal identifiable information, 14:08.880 --> 14:11.000 and sensitive departmental information. 14:11.000 --> 14:14.000 We don't wanna open up opportunities for our adversaries 14:14.000 --> 14:16.670 to exploit this situation, so you need to make sure 14:16.670 --> 14:18.720 that you follow not only personal hygiene 14:18.720 --> 14:20.680 to protect against the coronavirus, 14:20.680 --> 14:23.933 but also cyber-hygiene to protect the department's mission. 14:25.140 --> 14:26.510 I appreciate that we're pushing out 14:26.510 --> 14:28.261 a lot of information your way, 14:28.261 --> 14:29.094 and that some of the information 14:29.094 --> 14:30.900 is changing on a regular basis. 14:30.900 --> 14:32.534 We are updating the WHS website 14:32.534 --> 14:36.260 all through the night and the day. 14:36.260 --> 14:39.360 Please consider that your second source of information, 14:39.360 --> 14:41.760 the first being your supervisor. 14:41.760 --> 14:42.820 As of yet we do not have 14:42.820 --> 14:44.678 a positive identified coronavirus case 14:44.678 --> 14:46.900 of someone working inside the Pentagon, 14:46.900 --> 14:48.920 but we know the number of positive cases 14:48.920 --> 14:50.660 will increase in the region, 14:50.660 --> 14:53.620 and we are prepared to handle that should it occur. 14:53.620 --> 14:55.660 It is why we are enacting these measures now, 14:55.660 --> 14:56.493 what we want to do 14:56.493 --> 14:58.740 is decrease the future number of positive cases, 14:58.740 --> 15:00.800 we wanna lower the size of that peak, 15:00.800 --> 15:03.060 so we can better smooth and manage the incident, 15:03.060 --> 15:04.400 not only as a department, 15:04.400 --> 15:07.300 but to help support larger government and national issues. 15:08.210 --> 15:11.280 We are relying on you to self-report to your supervisor. 15:11.280 --> 15:15.410 We admire the grit and the resilience and the strength 15:15.410 --> 15:17.850 of the population that we get to serve. 15:17.850 --> 15:21.630 It's part of our culture that you stay in the fight. 15:21.630 --> 15:22.990 Here being strong 15:22.990 --> 15:25.300 means admitting that you're not feeling well, 15:25.300 --> 15:27.349 telling your supervisor you can't come to work. 15:27.349 --> 15:29.720 Mission accomplishment and contribution here 15:29.720 --> 15:31.370 is often showing up no matter what, 15:31.370 --> 15:32.948 all hours day and night, all weather. 15:32.948 --> 15:36.200 Here, not showing up can be supporting the mission, 15:36.200 --> 15:38.930 if it's keeping you, your family, 15:38.930 --> 15:40.220 other members of the department, 15:40.220 --> 15:43.263 safe from potential infection by the coronavirus. 15:44.230 --> 15:45.477 I appreciate your patience and cooperation 15:45.477 --> 15:46.780 and we work through this response 15:46.780 --> 15:48.288 in the coming days, weeks, and months. 15:48.288 --> 15:49.770 Please call us 15:49.770 --> 15:52.215 if you have ways that we can better serve you. 15:52.215 --> 15:56.593 Our contact number for this incident is (703) 697-1001. 15:57.804 --> 16:00.640 (703) 697-1001. 16:00.640 --> 16:02.720 That is the Pentagon Operation Center. 16:02.720 --> 16:05.640 If you go onto the whs.mil website, 16:05.640 --> 16:07.531 we do have information on reporting, 16:07.531 --> 16:09.963 should you suspect that you have a case present. 16:10.870 --> 16:12.990 Lastly, we need your continued vigilance, 16:12.990 --> 16:14.792 for not only the COVID-19 issue, 16:14.792 --> 16:16.928 but for all potential threats. 16:16.928 --> 16:19.500 Just this morning, unfortunately, 16:19.500 --> 16:21.010 a homicide did occur 16:21.010 --> 16:25.262 on the lower Pentagon Metro plant platform of Pentagon Rail. 16:25.262 --> 16:29.600 PFPA responded and provided immediate medical care. 16:29.600 --> 16:30.580 We cornered off the scene, 16:30.580 --> 16:32.495 are supporting the investigation by our partners. 16:32.495 --> 16:37.280 But I think it highlights the challenges that we all face, 16:37.280 --> 16:39.900 that while we have to manage this national emergency, 16:39.900 --> 16:41.025 and our response to COVID-19, 16:41.025 --> 16:43.138 we need to be vigilant across the board. 16:43.138 --> 16:47.208 I just want to extend a special thanks to Tom Muir. 16:47.208 --> 16:50.680 He's truly carried the lion's share of the work 16:50.680 --> 16:51.570 on this effort, 16:51.570 --> 16:53.130 and has allowed me to focus 16:53.130 --> 16:55.350 not only on PFPA's COVID response, 16:55.350 --> 16:58.040 but also be able to support real-world current events 16:58.040 --> 17:01.970 that happen, unfortunately, all too often in this area. 17:01.970 --> 17:04.143 So with that, I'll turn it over, and thank you. 17:09.179 --> 17:10.933 - Thank you Dr. Walsh, thank you Dan. 17:10.933 --> 17:12.255 Now I'd ask Miss Essye Miller, 17:12.255 --> 17:13.541 the Principal Deputy under Secretary 17:13.541 --> 17:14.707 for the Chief Information Officer 17:14.707 --> 17:16.183 to come forward and give us some thoughts 17:16.183 --> 17:18.303 about telework and the JSP network. 17:20.810 --> 17:21.940 - Thanks Tom. 17:21.940 --> 17:22.810 Good morning. 17:22.810 --> 17:26.210 There are three areas that the DOD, CIO, 17:26.210 --> 17:28.760 and IT leadership across the building are focused on 17:28.760 --> 17:30.890 that I'd like to highlight to you today. 17:30.890 --> 17:35.200 The first is establishing what our teleworkforce looks like 17:35.200 --> 17:39.350 across WHS and OSD at large. 17:39.350 --> 17:42.640 A part of that is us highlighting where our population falls 17:42.640 --> 17:44.980 within three categories of service. 17:44.980 --> 17:49.380 The first is being only email access, 17:49.380 --> 17:51.090 or those email users. 17:51.090 --> 17:54.030 Second, those that are using email 17:54.030 --> 17:56.330 with requirement for files 17:56.330 --> 17:58.503 and access to files online. 17:59.770 --> 18:03.549 Third are those requiring an office-like experience. 18:03.549 --> 18:06.700 Those high-level users that leave the building 18:06.700 --> 18:08.330 to go to an alternate location 18:08.330 --> 18:10.070 and need access to everything 18:10.070 --> 18:11.820 that they would have on their desk. 18:12.868 --> 18:13.701 It's important to note this, 18:13.701 --> 18:15.810 because we're working with leadership across the department 18:15.810 --> 18:18.520 to understand what the prioritization is for that. 18:18.520 --> 18:19.460 Over the last week, 18:19.460 --> 18:24.460 we've seen an increase of 240% to the help desk within JSP. 18:25.900 --> 18:29.740 As we collect the numbers to help us with prioritization, 18:29.740 --> 18:33.220 we ask that you work with your IT managers 18:33.220 --> 18:37.300 to clearly understand where you fit in these categories, 18:37.300 --> 18:42.300 and to understand where first contact should be. 18:42.900 --> 18:45.070 For example, if you're using a MobiKEY 18:45.070 --> 18:46.810 and have never used it before, 18:46.810 --> 18:49.110 you're IT manager should be your first stop 18:49.110 --> 18:51.100 for that level of education. 18:51.100 --> 18:54.020 Second area is regarding the network. 18:54.020 --> 18:56.730 Given the increased telework demand, 18:56.730 --> 19:00.530 we've seen a tremendous increase on the network, 19:00.530 --> 19:04.653 unprecedented demand just over the last weekend or so. 19:05.510 --> 19:08.760 As such, we're taking actions and shutting down YouTube 19:08.760 --> 19:09.903 effective tonight. 19:10.950 --> 19:14.313 We will start throttling streaming services today. 19:16.610 --> 19:19.893 We're seeing increased use on things like Pandora, 19:21.610 --> 19:24.030 and other streaming music services. 19:24.030 --> 19:28.600 We ask if use of these services are not mission-essential, 19:28.600 --> 19:32.233 that you refrain from using them on the DOD network. 19:33.197 --> 19:35.570 We are creating a dos and don'ts 19:35.570 --> 19:38.780 for healthy, clean hygiene on the network 19:38.780 --> 19:41.960 that we will make sure we give to WHS to distribute. 19:41.960 --> 19:44.810 Last area is with regard to security. 19:44.810 --> 19:47.583 As mentioned by the Acting PFPA Director, 19:47.583 --> 19:50.470 with the increased telework capability 19:50.470 --> 19:53.961 comes an increased attack surface for our adversary. 19:53.961 --> 19:57.100 They're already taking advantage of the situation 19:57.100 --> 19:59.590 and the environment that we have on hand. 19:59.590 --> 20:00.423 With that, 20:00.423 --> 20:04.094 we're developing good best-practices for you to use 20:04.094 --> 20:07.690 as you move from working in the office 20:07.690 --> 20:09.780 into a telework environment. 20:09.780 --> 20:12.660 If you walk away from nothing else, 20:12.660 --> 20:15.080 it's please, please, please, 20:15.080 --> 20:19.190 the same practices that you use in an office environment 20:19.190 --> 20:23.120 need to convey to wherever you're teleworking from. 20:23.120 --> 20:27.530 We also realize that there is increased demand on devices. 20:27.530 --> 20:30.580 We're working with leadership in the various PSAs 20:30.580 --> 20:32.960 to prioritize those requirements. 20:32.960 --> 20:34.320 And this will take it back 20:34.320 --> 20:37.370 to those three tiers of services that I mentioned. 20:37.370 --> 20:38.830 So please, 20:38.830 --> 20:42.850 take a look at what you absolutely need to telework, 20:42.850 --> 20:45.260 and align your device requirement 20:45.260 --> 20:47.410 and service requirement with that. 20:47.410 --> 20:51.720 Last point, we are making available enterprise services, 20:51.720 --> 20:55.800 collaboration and chat, through DISA JSP. 20:55.800 --> 20:57.600 We will make sure we distribute information 20:57.600 --> 20:59.490 on that to each and every one of you, 20:59.490 --> 21:03.211 but also ask that you not resort to creative means, 21:03.211 --> 21:06.140 a la services that we have not approved 21:06.140 --> 21:07.620 for use on the network, 21:07.620 --> 21:09.890 as they will ultimately create holes 21:09.890 --> 21:13.540 and establish unnecessary security postures for us. 21:13.540 --> 21:14.373 Thank you. 21:17.870 --> 21:21.145 Thanks Tom. - Thank you. 21:21.145 --> 21:21.978 Thank you Miss Miller. 21:21.978 --> 21:23.760 I'd like to ask that Victoria Hinton 21:23.760 --> 21:26.410 from the Principal Director for Civilian Personnel Policy 21:26.410 --> 21:27.410 come forward please. 21:30.840 --> 21:32.853 - Good morning, I'm Veronica Hinton. 21:34.496 --> 21:36.920 And as many before have mentioned, 21:36.920 --> 21:38.220 over the last several weeks, 21:38.220 --> 21:41.250 the department leadership has published guidance 21:41.250 --> 21:45.260 aimed at mitigating risk to our workforce, 21:45.260 --> 21:47.320 both military and civilian, 21:47.320 --> 21:49.240 contractors and their family, 21:49.240 --> 21:53.265 as we work to prevent the spread of coronavirus. 21:53.265 --> 21:58.040 Please refer to defense.gov/coronavirus 21:58.040 --> 21:59.500 for that information, 21:59.500 --> 22:01.489 it has also been pushed out through leadership channels. 22:01.489 --> 22:03.970 The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense 22:03.970 --> 22:07.524 for Personnel and Readiness has worked tirelessly 22:07.524 --> 22:11.890 to publish guidance for the workforce 22:11.890 --> 22:13.590 to give additional information 22:13.590 --> 22:17.580 around workforce flexibilities that are available to you, 22:17.580 --> 22:19.400 to supervisors and leadership, 22:19.400 --> 22:22.880 to help achieve the outcomes that we want 22:22.880 --> 22:26.330 in terms of minimizing contact and social distancing. 22:26.330 --> 22:30.480 That includes telework and maximizing telework, 22:30.480 --> 22:32.540 not only here in the Pentagon Reservation, 22:32.540 --> 22:34.030 across the National Capital Region, 22:34.030 --> 22:36.170 and across the department, 22:36.170 --> 22:38.320 as well as a variety 22:38.320 --> 22:41.760 of leave and workforce flexibilities available. 22:41.760 --> 22:42.660 We do recognize 22:42.660 --> 22:44.921 that there are a lot of individual circumstances 22:44.921 --> 22:47.810 unique to each individual. 22:47.810 --> 22:49.346 We would say that your first stop 22:49.346 --> 22:52.200 should be to have a conversation with your supervisor, 22:52.200 --> 22:54.270 have a conversation with your leadership, 22:54.270 --> 22:56.663 to go over your specific circumstances, 22:57.530 --> 22:59.700 to see where telework is appropriate, 22:59.700 --> 23:01.168 if you're telework eligible, 23:01.168 --> 23:02.350 to start telework 23:02.350 --> 23:05.010 if you're not a telework program participant, 23:05.010 --> 23:06.670 and what variety 23:06.670 --> 23:09.530 of appropriate leave categories are available. 23:09.530 --> 23:11.875 We do recognize that there are a lot of circumstances 23:11.875 --> 23:14.360 in the different local communities 23:14.360 --> 23:18.620 with regards to closures of schools, 23:18.620 --> 23:20.933 of childcare centers, and other things, 23:23.702 --> 23:25.970 that result in family disruptions, 23:25.970 --> 23:27.210 and require you to consider 23:27.210 --> 23:29.630 how are you gonna balance your life priorities 23:29.630 --> 23:31.950 along with your work priorities. 23:31.950 --> 23:33.940 And the suite of flexibilities 23:33.940 --> 23:37.440 both telework as well as workforce and leave flexibilities 23:37.440 --> 23:39.440 are there for supervisors 23:39.440 --> 23:42.560 to help you mitigate those challenges 23:42.560 --> 23:45.090 and balance your needs across that. 23:45.090 --> 23:47.480 With that, I'm going to ask Lernes Hebert, 23:47.480 --> 23:50.340 the DASD for Military Personnel Policy, 23:50.340 --> 23:51.380 to come up and talk a little bit 23:51.380 --> 23:53.933 about military personnel impacts. 23:57.290 --> 23:58.700 - Thank you. 23:58.700 --> 24:01.220 So as many of you have recognized, 24:01.220 --> 24:04.280 we have been pushing out stop-movement guidance 24:04.280 --> 24:05.790 for the Department of Defense 24:05.790 --> 24:07.570 over the last few days. 24:07.570 --> 24:10.423 This was necessary in order to provide, 24:11.820 --> 24:13.660 to slow down the spread of the virus, 24:13.660 --> 24:16.530 and give the installations time to put in place 24:16.530 --> 24:17.760 the safety precautions, 24:17.760 --> 24:19.912 as was described here today, 24:19.912 --> 24:24.513 to ensure the safety of our workforce and their families. 24:25.429 --> 24:28.940 The guidance that was pushed out was intentionally broad 24:28.940 --> 24:32.770 to give the leadership chain great flexibility 24:32.770 --> 24:35.650 in dealing with individual circumstances. 24:35.650 --> 24:37.339 And as Veronica indicated, 24:37.339 --> 24:39.920 check with your supervisor first, 24:39.920 --> 24:42.770 if you feel you have one of those unique circumstances 24:42.770 --> 24:46.793 that you would like to address with your chain. 24:47.910 --> 24:50.062 We have been given broad flexibilities 24:50.062 --> 24:53.969 across a whole range of personnel policies 24:53.969 --> 24:58.969 to include our allowance policies and our leave 24:59.410 --> 25:02.790 and leave-off authorities. 25:02.790 --> 25:03.760 That being said, 25:03.760 --> 25:05.910 we'll be pushing out additional guidance 25:05.910 --> 25:09.217 on the military side of the house, 25:09.217 --> 25:12.550 so that your military workforce, 25:12.550 --> 25:16.060 you can address those through your leadership chain, 25:16.060 --> 25:19.580 and they'll have all the consistent information 25:19.580 --> 25:20.680 that we are providing. 25:22.090 --> 25:23.230 Other than that, 25:23.230 --> 25:24.530 turn it back over the Tom. 25:25.500 --> 25:26.420 - And we're fortunate enough today 25:26.420 --> 25:27.990 to have a subject-matter expert 25:27.990 --> 25:29.320 from the Joint Staff Surgeon, 25:29.320 --> 25:32.823 to talk the medical precautions for COVID-19. 25:37.120 --> 25:38.468 - Good morning. 25:38.468 --> 25:39.840 I'm Lieutenant Colonel Cleve Sylvester 25:39.840 --> 25:41.720 from the Office of the Joint Staff Surgeon, 25:41.720 --> 25:45.730 representing Brigadier General Paul Friedrichs, 25:45.730 --> 25:47.543 who is the Joint Staff Surgeon. 25:48.430 --> 25:51.180 The basic message from General Friedrichs, 25:51.180 --> 25:52.150 and from our office, 25:52.150 --> 25:54.710 is, of course, to follow CDC's guidelines 25:54.710 --> 25:57.760 for mitigating the spread of the virus. 25:57.760 --> 25:59.650 So number one, 25:59.650 --> 26:01.950 the best thing that you can do is wash your hands, 26:01.950 --> 26:04.056 wash your hands, wash your hands, right? 26:04.056 --> 26:05.791 For the most part, I think, 26:05.791 --> 26:10.791 we've understood that if you are in a situation 26:11.270 --> 26:13.603 where you're in a crowded area, 26:15.082 --> 26:17.230 there are droplet precautions that you can take, right? 26:17.230 --> 26:19.687 The social distancing is extremely important. 26:19.687 --> 26:22.930 Covering your cough is very important. 26:22.930 --> 26:27.000 If you are an immunocompromised or an older person, 26:27.000 --> 26:28.840 stay away from these crowded places. 26:28.840 --> 26:29.940 And all of these are, of course, 26:29.940 --> 26:32.040 published on the CDC's website. 26:32.040 --> 26:35.580 So for the most of us here in the Pentagon, 26:35.580 --> 26:37.650 sometimes it is a little difficult, 26:37.650 --> 26:41.370 given the close quarters that we have to work in. 26:41.370 --> 26:44.910 But of course, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency 26:44.910 --> 26:46.960 has also issued some guidelines, 26:46.960 --> 26:51.960 and the Joint Staff is actually very, very on board 26:54.910 --> 26:59.880 with ensuring that we have to augment those guidelines, 26:59.880 --> 27:02.883 and to ensure that the Joint Force is protected. 27:06.660 --> 27:08.160 - Thank you Colonel Sylvester. 27:09.070 --> 27:11.410 I think we're gonna move now for questions and answers. 27:11.410 --> 27:13.470 We've received many questions online, 27:13.470 --> 27:15.167 so thanks for those that submitted questions. 27:15.167 --> 27:17.917 And we'll be answering some of your questions directly. 27:21.420 --> 27:22.780 - [Man] Thank you sir. 27:22.780 --> 27:24.170 There's been no noticeable change 27:24.170 --> 27:25.690 in horizontal surface cleaning 27:25.690 --> 27:28.630 around the Pentagon common areas, including door handles, 27:28.630 --> 27:30.859 CAC swipe entry points, window sills. 27:30.859 --> 27:33.372 Is this up to each individual organization, 27:33.372 --> 27:36.583 or is the janitorial contract going to be modified? 27:37.570 --> 27:39.893 - That's a good question for WHS. 27:40.914 --> 27:43.790 We have modified the cleaning 27:43.790 --> 27:45.610 and increased it significantly 27:45.610 --> 27:47.680 within the Pentagon Reservation. 27:47.680 --> 27:50.100 Of course, the Pentagon is one building amongst many 27:50.100 --> 27:51.940 within the Pentagon Reservations. 27:51.940 --> 27:54.520 There are many contracts supporting janitorial services, 27:54.520 --> 27:56.780 both here in the building in the Pentagon itself, 27:56.780 --> 27:59.640 as well as our 78 leased facilities 27:59.640 --> 28:01.057 within the National Capital Region, of course, 28:01.057 --> 28:02.810 and the Mark Center. 28:02.810 --> 28:04.467 We have increased cleaning, 28:04.467 --> 28:07.660 for particularly surfaces that are touched often, 28:07.660 --> 28:10.550 to include bathrooms, trash removal, 28:10.550 --> 28:13.160 restrooms, common areas. 28:13.160 --> 28:14.700 We have taken some actions as well 28:14.700 --> 28:16.338 to close off some of the common areas, 28:16.338 --> 28:19.995 particularly you'll see changes today in The Market Basket, 28:19.995 --> 28:23.790 both in the Pentagon and at the Mark Center, 28:23.790 --> 28:27.500 in terms of no buffets, going in to order in food, 28:27.500 --> 28:29.610 to take it back to your workplace. 28:29.610 --> 28:33.778 Closing off some of our opportunities for exposure. 28:33.778 --> 28:37.050 Once again, we have no confirmed exposures, 28:37.050 --> 28:38.840 or confirmed cases within the Pentagon Reservation 28:38.840 --> 28:39.890 or the Mark Center, 28:39.890 --> 28:42.170 but we do need to take appropriate actions 28:42.170 --> 28:44.433 to ensure a clean workspace. 28:45.270 --> 28:47.782 But I would ask for your help. 28:47.782 --> 28:50.980 Wash your hands, as the surgeon mentioned, 28:50.980 --> 28:52.050 as Colonel Sylvester mentioned. 28:52.050 --> 28:54.540 Wash you hands, wash you hands. 28:54.540 --> 28:56.940 When you have the opportunity to clean your workspace, 28:56.940 --> 28:59.330 use disinfectant and clean your workspace. 28:59.330 --> 29:02.820 We put out guidance about hand sanitizer, 29:02.820 --> 29:05.700 greater than 60% alcohol is kind of the standard 29:05.700 --> 29:07.550 published by the center for disease control 29:07.550 --> 29:10.080 about non-water and soap. 29:10.080 --> 29:12.130 Wash your hands for 20 seconds, 29:12.130 --> 29:14.590 not just a quick pass-through. 29:14.590 --> 29:15.960 We also mentioned discussions 29:15.960 --> 29:18.520 about cleaning down your workspace. 29:18.520 --> 29:21.020 We are modifying contacts, it will take a little bit of time 29:21.020 --> 29:24.130 for some of those contracts to get in place, 29:24.130 --> 29:26.470 but you will see, and we already have, 29:26.470 --> 29:29.317 increased the frequency of cleaning in our common areas, 29:29.317 --> 29:31.830 maybe not particularly your workspace. 29:31.830 --> 29:33.180 We do need your help 29:33.180 --> 29:36.550 to ensure that your workspace and your colleagues 29:36.550 --> 29:38.240 are washing their hands, 29:38.240 --> 29:40.550 cleaning down their individual workspaces, 29:40.550 --> 29:43.760 and taking care to ensure social distancing, 29:43.760 --> 29:47.453 covering your mouth when you cough and sneeze, et cetera. 29:49.310 --> 29:50.654 Thank you. 29:50.654 --> 29:51.487 Any other questions? 29:52.980 --> 29:54.245 - [Man] Sir, 29:54.245 --> 29:56.100 will you work with the Metropolitan Transit Authority 29:56.100 --> 30:00.230 to restart the 7M Pentagon Line to the Mark Center? 30:00.230 --> 30:01.930 We're told that it would still operate this week 30:01.930 --> 30:03.220 and it's not. 30:03.220 --> 30:04.680 The only way for metro commuters 30:04.680 --> 30:06.604 to get from the Pentagon to the Mark Center 30:06.604 --> 30:08.490 is the Seven Alpha, 30:08.490 --> 30:10.780 which only runs once an hour and takes 30 minutes, 30:10.780 --> 30:13.010 as opposed to the normal Seven Mike, 30:13.010 --> 30:15.733 which runs every 15 minutes and takes 15 minutes. 30:17.050 --> 30:19.667 - Thank you for the question. We will look into... 30:19.667 --> 30:22.380 This is the first I heard about the 7M route 30:22.380 --> 30:23.640 being canceled by WMATA. 30:23.640 --> 30:25.140 We'll take a look into it. 30:25.140 --> 30:26.120 The idea, of course, 30:26.120 --> 30:28.920 is to enable your commute via mass-transit. 30:28.920 --> 30:30.740 As I mentioned earlier in the discussion, 30:30.740 --> 30:34.150 you can expect delays, WMATA, before, 30:34.150 --> 30:39.150 both buses and metro lines are on a weekend schedule, 30:39.760 --> 30:41.900 a modified Saturday schedule, 30:41.900 --> 30:43.010 which may have been the reason 30:43.010 --> 30:44.640 why the Seven Mike was canceled, 30:44.640 --> 30:45.980 because it doesn't run on the weekends. 30:45.980 --> 30:47.370 So we'll see what we can do 30:47.370 --> 30:49.840 to get that line back into operation 30:49.840 --> 30:50.890 as quickly as we can. 30:54.610 --> 30:55.930 - [Man] Thank you sir. 30:55.930 --> 30:58.050 How are hiring and transfer actions 30:58.050 --> 30:59.910 impacted during this time? 30:59.910 --> 31:02.040 What is the process for an employee 31:02.040 --> 31:06.333 who has an enter on duty date of March 30th, 2020? 31:08.620 --> 31:09.453 - This morning, 31:09.453 --> 31:11.480 the Defense Civilian Personal Advisory Service 31:11.480 --> 31:13.563 published a series of questions and answers 31:13.563 --> 31:18.563 on their website, www.dcpas.osd.mil. 31:19.730 --> 31:22.671 I encourage everyone to go out to that website 31:22.671 --> 31:23.810 and take a look at that. 31:23.810 --> 31:27.770 It covers both telework, hiring, leave status, and pay. 31:27.770 --> 31:31.630 www.dcpas.osd.mil 31:31.630 --> 31:33.520 In reference to hiring, 31:33.520 --> 31:36.110 currently under the guidance published 31:36.110 --> 31:37.450 limiting travel restrictions, 31:37.450 --> 31:40.430 we have limited hiring and onboarding 31:40.430 --> 31:41.600 only to those candidates 31:41.600 --> 31:43.610 that are in the local commuting area 31:43.610 --> 31:46.900 through the 60-day travel restriction that is in place. 31:46.900 --> 31:49.002 So if you are hiring someone 31:49.002 --> 31:51.380 that is in the local commuting area, 31:51.380 --> 31:53.530 you can onboard those candidates. 31:53.530 --> 31:56.160 For other hiring actions, 31:56.160 --> 31:57.990 components do have the flexibility 31:57.990 --> 32:00.310 to continue the hiring process, 32:00.310 --> 32:02.210 but if the individuals were located 32:02.210 --> 32:04.740 outside the local commuting area, 32:04.740 --> 32:07.290 then they will delay those onboarding 32:07.290 --> 32:10.510 until such time that the travel restrictions are lifted. 32:10.510 --> 32:11.343 Thank you. 32:16.980 --> 32:18.180 - [Man] Thank you ma'am. 32:18.180 --> 32:21.140 If you don't have a computer at home, or Internet, 32:21.140 --> 32:22.733 what is your status? 32:30.580 --> 32:34.140 - So for civilian employees, again, 32:34.140 --> 32:36.340 it's a conversation to have with your supervisor. 32:36.340 --> 32:38.920 There are a lot of variables that go into that. 32:38.920 --> 32:41.050 If you don't have a computer at home, 32:41.050 --> 32:43.180 and you are not telework eligible, 32:43.180 --> 32:45.240 or a telework program participant, 32:45.240 --> 32:49.270 and your supervisor has asked you 32:49.270 --> 32:51.840 to not come to the work site 32:51.840 --> 32:54.150 for safety and personal reasons, 32:54.150 --> 32:55.640 personal safety reasons, 32:55.640 --> 32:59.740 then there are categories of leave available, 32:59.740 --> 33:01.450 weather and safety leave, 33:01.450 --> 33:04.270 that are eligible for employees to have. 33:04.270 --> 33:06.670 Again, there's a lot of nuances associated with that, 33:06.670 --> 33:08.090 so the key point here 33:08.090 --> 33:10.538 is to have a conversation with your supervisor 33:10.538 --> 33:14.200 to talk through mission-essential versus non-essential, 33:14.200 --> 33:16.230 and what types of categories 33:16.230 --> 33:18.160 are available to you personally. 33:18.160 --> 33:18.993 Thank you. 33:21.180 --> 33:22.760 - [Man] Thank you ma'am. 33:22.760 --> 33:25.570 When will the department mandate maximum telework 33:25.570 --> 33:28.228 for all agencies within the NCR? 33:28.228 --> 33:30.478 - Tom, you wanna take that? 33:35.717 --> 33:38.110 - As of last evening, 33:38.110 --> 33:42.380 if you go on the opm.gov/status, 33:42.380 --> 33:44.500 you'll see that the Office of Personal Management 33:44.500 --> 33:47.190 has directed federal agencies in the National Capital Region 33:47.190 --> 33:49.370 to go to maximized telework. 33:49.370 --> 33:50.680 There's also recent guidance 33:50.680 --> 33:52.360 from The White House published yesterday 33:52.360 --> 33:55.836 that requests federal agencies to go to maximum telework 33:55.836 --> 33:59.640 as determined by the department and/or agency. 33:59.640 --> 34:01.820 I would ask though, in this discussion, 34:01.820 --> 34:05.580 if we'd consider kind of one additional comment. 34:05.580 --> 34:10.020 And that is that the population of this disease, 34:10.020 --> 34:12.550 the population at most risk by this disease, 34:12.550 --> 34:14.010 as I mentioned earlier, 34:14.010 --> 34:16.550 are those over the age of 60, 34:16.550 --> 34:18.430 those with underlying health conditions, 34:18.430 --> 34:20.662 be they diabetes, heart conditions, or lung conditions, 34:20.662 --> 34:23.400 or suppressed immune systems. 34:23.400 --> 34:26.010 And indeed there's some discussion by CDC 34:26.010 --> 34:27.173 about pregnant women. 34:28.030 --> 34:30.220 I would ask you to consider, 34:30.220 --> 34:33.510 for those not on telework agreements currently, 34:33.510 --> 34:36.760 to protect our most vulnerable workforce members. 34:36.760 --> 34:37.923 And those, once again, 34:39.391 --> 34:40.930 are those at most risk for this particular virus. 34:40.930 --> 34:44.310 This virus does not strike everyone equally. 34:44.310 --> 34:46.150 It strikes those that are older, 34:46.150 --> 34:49.470 and at great health risk much more variantly. 34:49.470 --> 34:52.300 So as part of the telework discussion, 34:52.300 --> 34:53.900 we are at maximized telework 34:55.130 --> 34:56.610 by the Office of Personnel Management 34:56.610 --> 34:58.700 for the National Capital Region. 34:58.700 --> 35:00.260 We are at maximized telework 35:00.260 --> 35:02.260 by the Office of Management and Budget. 35:02.260 --> 35:04.500 Well let me reinforce this discussion though. 35:04.500 --> 35:07.110 The Department of Defense and the Federal Government 35:07.110 --> 35:08.513 is open for business. 35:09.410 --> 35:12.540 We utilize telework to accomplish our mission, 35:12.540 --> 35:14.820 and to ensure the protection of you and your families 35:14.820 --> 35:18.760 from this particular strain of the novel coronavirus. 35:18.760 --> 35:20.460 We are open for business, 35:20.460 --> 35:23.503 we're on mission supporting our nation's defense. 35:28.520 --> 35:29.620 - [Man] Thank you sir. 35:30.460 --> 35:31.530 To support telework, 35:31.530 --> 35:34.930 are more MobiKEYs, or other telework devices, 35:34.930 --> 35:37.673 going to be issued to accommodate teleworking? 35:39.320 --> 35:42.130 - We have limited inventory for MobiKEYs, 35:42.130 --> 35:45.240 laptops, and classified devices. 35:45.240 --> 35:46.360 As I mentioned earlier, 35:46.360 --> 35:48.440 we're working with leadership on those requests 35:48.440 --> 35:50.300 that have already been submitted 35:50.300 --> 35:52.983 and determining the prioritization on those. 35:54.580 --> 35:56.830 Simultaneously, we're working to see 35:56.830 --> 36:00.516 where we can increase the number of devices on hand, 36:00.516 --> 36:04.220 working with some of our vendors to order more. 36:04.220 --> 36:06.150 That will take time. 36:06.150 --> 36:09.580 This goes back to please work with your supervisor 36:09.580 --> 36:13.525 to determine what your workload expectations are, 36:13.525 --> 36:17.530 how that carries over into your technology requirements, 36:17.530 --> 36:19.230 and how we can help you with that. 36:21.940 --> 36:23.310 - [Man] Thank you man. 36:23.310 --> 36:24.860 If the Mark Center is closed 36:24.860 --> 36:27.080 and mandatory telework is implemented, 36:27.080 --> 36:28.971 if someone's working on a classified project, 36:28.971 --> 36:33.530 will he or she still need to come to work on those projects? 36:33.530 --> 36:34.800 I have seen many emails on this, 36:34.800 --> 36:36.850 but unfortunately they're not very clear. 36:38.620 --> 36:39.453 - Thank you for the question. 36:39.453 --> 36:42.021 As I mentioned earlier in the discussion, in our preamble, 36:42.021 --> 36:44.920 we know that there are many in the Department of Defense 36:44.920 --> 36:46.910 that utilize classified systems 36:46.910 --> 36:48.603 to perform their daily duties. 36:48.603 --> 36:51.700 You will not have the capacity, obviously, 36:51.700 --> 36:54.770 to log onto a classified system from your home; 36:54.770 --> 36:57.361 that's about protecting our nation's security. 36:57.361 --> 37:01.317 Therefore, you may be required by your supervisor 37:01.317 --> 37:03.490 to come into work to perform your duties 37:03.490 --> 37:04.910 if that is mission-critical 37:04.910 --> 37:06.855 to the mission of your organization, 37:06.855 --> 37:09.740 or to your support of the national defense strategy. 37:09.740 --> 37:10.679 So once again, 37:10.679 --> 37:13.770 there will be no access to classified materials 37:13.770 --> 37:17.560 outside of our current workstations and work environments. 37:17.560 --> 37:20.490 Should your supervisor require you to perform duties 37:20.490 --> 37:23.379 that require you to access classified material 37:23.379 --> 37:25.420 through classified systems, 37:25.420 --> 37:28.380 or even files in your safe, 37:28.380 --> 37:30.760 you will be required to perform those duties 37:30.760 --> 37:31.793 at the workplace. 37:34.203 --> 37:36.810 - Let me just add onto that. 37:36.810 --> 37:39.060 If you're not determined to be mission essential, 37:39.060 --> 37:40.650 mission critical, 37:40.650 --> 37:44.384 and your leadership requires you 37:44.384 --> 37:46.490 to not come to the work site, 37:46.490 --> 37:49.460 there are administrative leave categories available 37:49.460 --> 37:51.098 if you work on classified work 37:51.098 --> 37:55.525 and you do not have access to our on-site location, 37:55.525 --> 37:58.050 due to it being restricted, 37:58.050 --> 38:00.750 then there are restrictive leave categories available. 38:06.230 --> 38:07.188 - [Man] Thank you ma'am. 38:07.188 --> 38:08.623 Thank you sir. 38:11.180 --> 38:13.630 Can government civilians continue 38:13.630 --> 38:15.990 with their personal annual leave plans, 38:15.990 --> 38:18.170 already approved by their supervisors? 38:18.170 --> 38:19.003 If not, 38:19.003 --> 38:22.723 will agencies reimburse non-refundable travel tickets? 38:23.630 --> 38:25.640 - So the travel restrictions that are in place 38:25.640 --> 38:27.923 apply to official travel only, 38:27.923 --> 38:30.520 both permanent change of station 38:30.520 --> 38:33.640 and temporary duty status. 38:33.640 --> 38:35.171 For uniformed personnel, 38:35.171 --> 38:37.374 leave restrictions are in place. 38:37.374 --> 38:39.040 For civilian employees, 38:39.040 --> 38:42.460 you are eligible to take leave, 38:42.460 --> 38:43.293 but again, 38:43.293 --> 38:44.887 that's a conversation to have with your supervisor 38:44.887 --> 38:49.001 around whether or not there are mission-critical reason 38:49.001 --> 38:52.770 for leave not to be approved, 38:52.770 --> 38:54.980 and that'll be individual circumstances. 38:54.980 --> 38:59.980 If you are having leave planned and it needs to be canceled, 39:00.416 --> 39:04.730 then no, there are not government reimbursement 39:04.730 --> 39:05.963 for personal travel. 39:10.470 --> 39:12.130 - [Man] Thank you ma'am. 39:12.130 --> 39:14.870 Some employees are still coming to work with bad coughs, 39:14.870 --> 39:17.010 even after the Pentagon alert notifications 39:17.010 --> 39:18.880 issued last Wednesday. 39:18.880 --> 39:21.480 What are you doing to address this particular issue? 39:25.580 --> 39:26.700 - I'll begin that conversation, 39:26.700 --> 39:28.990 then I'll turn it over to Colonel Sylvester. 39:28.990 --> 39:31.610 The answer is don't come to work if you're sick! 39:31.610 --> 39:33.140 Cough into your sleeve. 39:33.140 --> 39:35.080 Respect social distance. 39:35.080 --> 39:37.749 We care about your health, your family's health, 39:37.749 --> 39:40.210 your coworker's health, and their family's health. 39:40.210 --> 39:43.010 But I'll turn it over to the surgeon, Colonel Sylvester. 39:45.440 --> 39:46.640 - Thank you sir. 39:46.640 --> 39:49.270 And just to mirror what Mr. Muir said, 39:49.270 --> 39:53.380 it's very important that if you have a persistent cough, 39:53.380 --> 39:55.460 that you do stay home. 39:55.460 --> 39:58.895 Cough into your sleeve, cover your cough. 39:58.895 --> 40:01.878 We understand that the virus is spread 40:01.878 --> 40:03.533 primary though droplets. 40:06.640 --> 40:07.930 The (clearing throat), 40:07.930 --> 40:09.330 the thing about that is, 40:09.330 --> 40:12.890 you don't know the distance that that cough travels 40:12.890 --> 40:14.330 if you cough into the open air. 40:14.330 --> 40:17.350 And so you potentially can infect your coworkers 40:17.350 --> 40:19.088 if you do come to work. 40:19.088 --> 40:23.780 Secondarily, you may or may not have the virus 40:23.780 --> 40:25.510 because of the type of cough that you have, 40:25.510 --> 40:27.310 but at the time you don't know that. 40:27.310 --> 40:31.353 So I would encourage you also to speak with your supervisor. 40:32.351 --> 40:37.351 Ensure that you have the authority to stay home, of course. 40:38.100 --> 40:42.240 And then thirdly, you can always call the nurse advice line, 40:42.240 --> 40:45.120 and speak to your primary care provider, 40:45.120 --> 40:48.480 just to ensure that you're doing the right thing. 40:48.480 --> 40:50.120 And if you need to go see someone, 40:50.120 --> 40:51.250 see a primary care doctor, 40:51.250 --> 40:53.100 then of course you would have to do that. 40:53.100 --> 40:54.113 Thanks. 40:57.800 --> 41:01.190 - [Man] What is the process for proposing an exception 41:01.190 --> 41:03.360 to the new Pentagon visitor's policy 41:03.360 --> 41:05.203 for leadership considerations? 41:09.640 --> 41:12.430 - The exception authority, the waiver authority, 41:12.430 --> 41:14.730 has been provided, obviously 41:14.730 --> 41:17.210 to the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, 41:17.210 --> 41:20.840 the Chief Management Officer on behalf of the Fourth Estate, 41:20.840 --> 41:22.630 the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 41:22.630 --> 41:24.850 or the Service Secretaries. 41:24.850 --> 41:28.950 So that's a pretty level of waiver authority. 41:28.950 --> 41:32.330 Each of those components are gonna determine 41:32.330 --> 41:34.310 their own individual waiver processes. 41:34.310 --> 41:35.850 And once we receive those waivers, 41:35.850 --> 41:38.000 we will process those visitors accordingly. 41:42.710 --> 41:44.500 - [Man] Thank you sir. 41:44.500 --> 41:46.650 For telework guidance, 41:46.650 --> 41:48.837 the following was posted on the WHS website. 41:48.837 --> 41:50.577 "Pentagon Reservation organizations 41:50.577 --> 41:52.907 "are encouraged to maximize telework opportunities 41:52.907 --> 41:54.997 "while still maintaining the capability 41:54.997 --> 41:57.780 "to perform all mission-critical functions." 41:57.780 --> 42:01.350 What is considered a Pentagon Reservation organization? 42:01.350 --> 42:04.148 Is a for-the-state agency located on Fort Belvoir 42:04.148 --> 42:07.713 considered a Pentagon Reservation organization? 42:11.140 --> 42:12.710 - This is Tom Muir for Washington Headquarter Service. 42:12.710 --> 42:13.720 The answer is no, 42:13.720 --> 42:15.080 Fort Belvoir is not considered 42:15.080 --> 42:16.811 a Pentagon Reservation organization. 42:16.811 --> 42:19.540 And that is by federal statute 42:19.540 --> 42:21.181 that defines the Pentagon Reservation 42:21.181 --> 42:24.780 does include leased facilities in Crystal City, Rosslyn, 42:24.780 --> 42:26.500 Arlington, and other places, 42:26.500 --> 42:28.170 the Mark Center, of course, the Pentagon. 42:28.170 --> 42:30.090 Fort Belvoir has their own 42:30.090 --> 42:31.810 health protecting condition rules, 42:31.810 --> 42:33.380 in fact they've gone to Bravo as well, 42:33.380 --> 42:36.800 as does Joint Base Fort Myer-Henderson Hall, 42:36.800 --> 42:40.821 as does Joint Base Bolling Andrews Air Force Base. 42:40.821 --> 42:44.508 The Installation Commanders themselves, 42:44.508 --> 42:45.341 with public health authorities 42:45.341 --> 42:47.750 and the leadership of that installation, 42:47.750 --> 42:50.950 make decisions to protect their workforce. 42:50.950 --> 42:54.100 Certainly we talk very often with Fort Belvoir 42:54.100 --> 42:56.460 and the Military District of Washington 42:56.460 --> 42:58.250 for the larger Army community, 42:58.250 --> 43:00.350 just as we do for the Air Force and Navy communities 43:00.350 --> 43:03.260 for the District of Washington and their respective bases. 43:03.260 --> 43:05.010 But right now, no, 43:05.010 --> 43:08.220 it does not apply to Fort Belvoir 43:08.220 --> 43:10.750 for their installation requirements. 43:10.750 --> 43:14.600 It does apply to Fort Belvoir for travel restrictions, 43:14.600 --> 43:16.703 and for domestic travel, international travel, 43:16.703 --> 43:19.690 if we're talking about what's defined 43:19.690 --> 43:22.480 as a defense agency and field activity. 43:22.480 --> 43:24.740 There are several of them located at Fort Belvoir 43:24.740 --> 43:26.710 to include Defense Logistics Agency, 43:26.710 --> 43:28.555 Defense Threat Reduction Agency, 43:28.555 --> 43:31.260 just like Defense Intelligence Agencies 43:31.260 --> 43:33.220 at Bolling Air Force Base. 43:33.220 --> 43:36.240 So the defense agency and field activity restrictions 43:36.240 --> 43:38.740 would reply, would apply, I'm sorry, 43:38.740 --> 43:41.160 for travel to those particular organizations, 43:41.160 --> 43:41.993 but however, 43:41.993 --> 43:44.930 the installations make health protection condition changes 43:44.930 --> 43:46.403 based on installations. 43:51.610 --> 43:52.710 - [Man] Thank you sir. 43:54.700 --> 43:57.380 Will the Pentagon go to mission ascension personnel 43:57.380 --> 43:59.520 if mass-transit is not available, 43:59.520 --> 44:01.840 or slimmed-down to only a few available, 44:01.840 --> 44:03.410 or what are the conditions by which 44:03.410 --> 44:05.330 the Pentagon will reduce to mission-essential 44:05.330 --> 44:06.893 task and personnel only? 44:10.690 --> 44:13.460 - In the Pentagon Facilities Operations Plan, 44:13.460 --> 44:16.800 which is posted on the PFPA website, 44:16.800 --> 44:19.190 as it's for official use only, 44:19.190 --> 44:20.270 we do describe what we call 44:20.270 --> 44:21.820 the health protection conditions, 44:21.820 --> 44:23.250 and we start at normal, 44:23.250 --> 44:24.810 and we're now, of course, at Bravo, 44:24.810 --> 44:27.683 as we stand here Monday on the 16th of March. 44:28.520 --> 44:29.930 It does all the way to Delta, 44:29.930 --> 44:32.210 there are two levels that we haven't attained. 44:32.210 --> 44:34.960 And once again, those are threat-based conditions, 44:34.960 --> 44:37.220 not mass-transit conditions. 44:37.220 --> 44:38.792 So the availability of mass-transit, 44:38.792 --> 44:41.230 while it's a hindrance to come to work in the morning, 44:41.230 --> 44:43.700 it does not represent a threat to the installation, 44:43.700 --> 44:46.490 or to your health or your family's health. 44:46.490 --> 44:48.440 Therefore, we'll utilize, 44:48.440 --> 44:50.717 tied in with the Center for Disease Control, 44:50.717 --> 44:54.630 the threat by COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, 44:54.630 --> 44:57.140 and the threat it poses to our workforce. 44:57.140 --> 44:58.530 The conditions that would cause us 44:58.530 --> 45:00.200 to raise our health protection conditions 45:00.200 --> 45:04.330 include such things as positive Pentagon COVID 45:04.330 --> 45:07.090 declaration of a public health emergency 45:07.090 --> 45:08.680 in the Pentagon Reservation, 45:08.680 --> 45:11.000 and that are others associated with our plan, 45:11.000 --> 45:12.480 our facility's plan. 45:12.480 --> 45:16.122 We're keeping a close eye on mass transit availability 45:16.122 --> 45:17.790 in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, 45:17.790 --> 45:19.580 in the commuting region. 45:19.580 --> 45:21.020 We'll make appropriate decisions 45:21.020 --> 45:22.750 based on availability of mass transit, 45:22.750 --> 45:23.820 to either open up parking 45:23.820 --> 45:25.690 or have other options available to workforce 45:25.690 --> 45:29.050 that must come into work to perform their job. 45:29.050 --> 45:31.766 But our decisions on health protection conditions, 45:31.766 --> 45:35.395 which would cause us to go to a larger telework population, 45:35.395 --> 45:37.647 are based on the threat of the virus, 45:37.647 --> 45:40.963 not on availability of mass-transit. 45:45.230 --> 45:46.760 - [Man] Thank you sir. 45:46.760 --> 45:48.029 Now that schools are closed, 45:48.029 --> 45:51.250 what are our options in terms of approved absences 45:51.250 --> 45:52.760 for government employee parents 45:52.760 --> 45:54.810 that need to take care of their children? 46:00.780 --> 46:02.130 - I feel like a broken record, 46:02.130 --> 46:04.460 but there's gonna be an "it depends." 46:04.460 --> 46:07.530 Again, if you're telework eligible, 46:07.530 --> 46:09.500 and a telework program participant, 46:09.500 --> 46:12.118 telework is available to you. 46:12.118 --> 46:14.330 The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense 46:14.330 --> 46:15.760 for Personnel Readiness 46:15.760 --> 46:19.103 did relax the policy and put in a limited exception 46:19.103 --> 46:21.890 to allow employees to telework 46:21.890 --> 46:25.220 while children or other families that require care 46:25.220 --> 46:27.380 are present in the alternate duty location, 46:27.380 --> 46:29.281 which for many is home. 46:29.281 --> 46:32.390 If you are not telework eligible, 46:32.390 --> 46:34.370 or a telework program participant, 46:34.370 --> 46:38.310 then please work with your supervisor. 46:38.310 --> 46:41.280 There are a variety of flexibilities available 46:41.280 --> 46:43.080 to include alternate work schedules, 46:43.080 --> 46:44.292 flexible work schedules, 46:44.292 --> 46:46.800 the availability to perform work 46:46.800 --> 46:50.851 in a limited flexible manner, 46:50.851 --> 46:52.920 lesser than the 10 days, 46:52.920 --> 46:55.880 the biweek timeframe that we normally have. 46:55.880 --> 46:57.766 And then there's also the option 46:57.766 --> 46:59.420 for different leave categories: 46:59.420 --> 47:01.060 annual leave, advanced annual leave, 47:01.060 --> 47:02.820 if that's not available as well. 47:02.820 --> 47:04.190 If, while you're teleworking, 47:04.190 --> 47:09.190 you have to care or attend to your family member, 47:09.743 --> 47:12.820 then that period that you're doing such 47:12.820 --> 47:15.750 would count towards annual leave, 47:15.750 --> 47:17.940 or some other leave status, 47:17.940 --> 47:20.690 or if you're doing a maxiwork schedule, 47:20.690 --> 47:22.100 or flex work schedule, 47:22.100 --> 47:24.300 make up that time and account for that time. 47:26.590 --> 47:28.010 - [Man] Thank you ma'am. 47:28.010 --> 47:30.089 Will the reasonable accommodation process 47:30.089 --> 47:32.850 be used to determine who is at risk 47:32.850 --> 47:34.860 when it pertains to employees 47:34.860 --> 47:36.790 who are not telework eligible? 47:36.790 --> 47:39.540 If no, what process will leadership use 47:39.540 --> 47:42.380 in an effort to properly determine who is, 47:42.380 --> 47:44.143 and who isn't at risk? 47:46.983 --> 47:48.150 - And this is Tom Muir again, 47:48.150 --> 47:49.380 and this'll be the last question, 47:49.380 --> 47:50.980 we'll turn it over back to Miss Hershman 47:50.980 --> 47:53.180 for a close out for this morning's sessions. 47:54.130 --> 47:55.080 As I mentioned earlier, 47:55.080 --> 47:56.600 the Center for Disease Control 47:56.600 --> 47:58.954 and the Office of Management and Budget, 47:58.954 --> 48:01.550 have posted some good dialog on who's at risk 48:01.550 --> 48:03.440 from this particular virus, 48:03.440 --> 48:07.380 from the novel coronavirus that we're calling COVID-19. 48:07.380 --> 48:10.062 Those most at risk include those over the age of 60, 48:10.062 --> 48:12.080 those with heart and lung conditions, 48:12.080 --> 48:14.200 and those with underlying health conditions. 48:14.200 --> 48:17.020 That is separate but not inclusive 48:17.020 --> 48:18.270 of the Reasonable Accommodation Act, 48:18.270 --> 48:19.854 and our responsibility 48:19.854 --> 48:21.490 is to ensure reasonable accommodation under the law, 48:21.490 --> 48:23.220 and under DOD policy. 48:23.220 --> 48:24.425 So those at risk, 48:24.425 --> 48:26.560 supervisors should consider 48:26.560 --> 48:28.089 additional telework considerations, 48:28.089 --> 48:33.030 by Office Management and Budget Policy, on the Memo 20-13, 48:33.030 --> 48:35.570 are those that are over 60, 48:35.570 --> 48:37.500 heart and health conditions, 48:37.500 --> 48:40.233 and some other underlying health conditions. 48:40.233 --> 48:42.300 And it's my honor to turn this back over 48:42.300 --> 48:43.740 to the Honorable Lisa Hershman, 48:43.740 --> 48:45.180 the Chief Management Officer of the department. 48:45.180 --> 48:46.013 Thank you ma'am. 48:48.580 --> 48:49.413 - Thank you Tom, 48:49.413 --> 48:51.640 and thank you for all of your questions. 48:51.640 --> 48:52.600 As a matter of fact, 48:52.600 --> 48:56.320 we have gotten over 150 questions today, 48:56.320 --> 48:57.990 which I appreciate, 48:57.990 --> 48:59.640 because it shows your interest, 48:59.640 --> 49:01.150 you're looking for information. 49:01.150 --> 49:04.570 We'll do our very best to bring that to you. 49:04.570 --> 49:07.160 And so what we'd like to do is take your questions 49:07.160 --> 49:08.470 and post answers, 49:08.470 --> 49:12.270 so that everyone can see what the responses are. 49:12.270 --> 49:14.973 I do appreciate everyone's concern. 49:15.960 --> 49:18.137 We first and foremost, 49:18.137 --> 49:19.820 and as Veronica said, 49:19.820 --> 49:22.130 she sounds like a broken record, but you're right. 49:22.130 --> 49:23.500 What we want you to do 49:23.500 --> 49:26.690 is point you in the direction of our website, 49:26.690 --> 49:28.610 that can answer some of our questions, 49:28.610 --> 49:31.420 but always make sure that your supervisor and you 49:31.420 --> 49:34.800 are in constant dialogue with any of your questions, 49:34.800 --> 49:37.940 because they are going to be making some determinations 49:37.940 --> 49:40.493 with telework schedules, et cetera. 49:41.408 --> 49:43.340 Talk to them about agreements, 49:43.340 --> 49:45.250 some of us maybe signed a telework agreement 49:45.250 --> 49:46.650 a long time ago, 49:46.650 --> 49:48.110 it might be time to revisit that. 49:48.110 --> 49:51.580 So please stay in touch with your chain of command. 49:51.580 --> 49:55.170 Also, we talked about a few symptoms here. 49:55.170 --> 49:57.680 The bottom line is, if you are sick, 49:57.680 --> 49:59.840 either go home or stay home. 49:59.840 --> 50:04.480 Whether it's COVID-19 symptoms of a fever and a cough, 50:04.480 --> 50:05.940 with secondary symptoms 50:05.940 --> 50:08.240 such as a headache and shortness of breath, 50:08.240 --> 50:09.510 or the flu, 50:09.510 --> 50:11.860 which can include things like body aches. 50:11.860 --> 50:14.580 Either way, we want you to be safe, 50:14.580 --> 50:17.320 we want the others who are working with you to be safe. 50:17.320 --> 50:18.330 So I want to make sure 50:18.330 --> 50:20.860 that regardless of what the diagnosis is, 50:20.860 --> 50:21.720 if you are sick, 50:21.720 --> 50:23.530 we would like you to take care of yourself 50:23.530 --> 50:24.813 and see your doctors. 50:26.010 --> 50:29.740 We are practicing a different way of managing here, 50:29.740 --> 50:34.030 every day in the Pentagon, in the Reservation. 50:34.030 --> 50:36.520 So I'm speaking to you today from the auditorium, 50:36.520 --> 50:38.690 and I will tell you there are more people on the stage 50:38.690 --> 50:40.230 than there are in the audience, 50:40.230 --> 50:43.740 and that's going to be something that we practice and test. 50:43.740 --> 50:45.490 I will also mention that the Secretary 50:45.490 --> 50:46.719 and the Deputy Secretary 50:46.719 --> 50:49.130 have also put this into action. 50:49.130 --> 50:50.980 Their meetings are now spread out 50:50.980 --> 50:53.170 over multiple conference rooms, 50:53.170 --> 50:56.370 and we take good advantage of our technology 50:56.370 --> 50:58.400 to bring other in remotely. 50:58.400 --> 51:01.690 That is something that I encourage all of you to practice. 51:01.690 --> 51:03.362 When I have meetings in my office, 51:03.362 --> 51:05.878 I make sure that it's a limited number of people, 51:05.878 --> 51:09.410 and we keep that approximate six foot social distance 51:09.410 --> 51:10.610 from one another. 51:10.610 --> 51:11.780 So I will say to you, 51:11.780 --> 51:13.615 continue to practice these things. 51:13.615 --> 51:17.053 Your leadership has probably put some of this in place. 51:17.053 --> 51:21.720 And as I said, as more questions come and things change, 51:21.720 --> 51:25.640 we will continually strive to keep you updated 51:25.640 --> 51:27.270 and answer your questions. 51:27.270 --> 51:30.720 And finally, I'd like to thank Essye Miller 51:30.720 --> 51:32.660 from our CIO organization. 51:32.660 --> 51:35.552 Tom Muir from Washington Headquarter Services 51:35.552 --> 51:38.011 and our Acting Director of Administration. 51:38.011 --> 51:39.814 Dr. Walsh, thank you. 51:39.814 --> 51:42.230 Veronica Hinton, thank you, 51:42.230 --> 51:43.770 I know there's a lot on people's minds, 51:43.770 --> 51:45.760 so appreciate you being here. 51:45.760 --> 51:47.150 Lernes Hebert, 51:47.150 --> 51:48.890 hopefully I pronounced your last name 51:48.890 --> 51:50.180 more appropriately this time, 51:50.180 --> 51:51.013 sorry about that, 51:51.013 --> 51:52.740 thank you for being here. 51:52.740 --> 51:54.120 Lieutenant Colonel Sylvester, 51:54.120 --> 51:57.430 thank you for your insights from the medical perspective, 51:57.430 --> 52:00.140 and we really appreciate what you folks are all doing, 52:00.140 --> 52:01.462 on behalf of everyone here. 52:01.462 --> 52:03.378 Stay focused on our mission, 52:03.378 --> 52:06.912 protect ourselves and our fellow employees, 52:06.912 --> 52:09.230 and as I said, 52:09.230 --> 52:10.820 we will continue to keep you in the loop 52:10.820 --> 52:13.130 as more information, more details emerge. 52:13.130 --> 52:13.963 Thank you.