Notice to all prime contractors and their subcontractors with contracts that were awarded and/or are administered by Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & IMF (COVID-19)

This is Update No. 33 - Updated as of 3 July 2023 (9:51 am HST).   Refer to underlined areas for the updates.  The following summarizes the update:

1. Updating the “Criteria Restriction of Entering Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance (PHNSY & IMF)” with less restrictions.
2. Updating the “Mask Wearing Requirement” with less restrictions.   

Notice is to all prime contractors and their subcontractors with contracts that were awarded and/or are administered by PHNSY & IMF.  The information contained herein is a facility access and safety requirement.  Unless modified into a contract, this is not a contractual requirement; therefore, administration of this requirement is not by the Contracting Officer or the Contracting Officer’s Representative.

Definition:

a.  COVID-19 symptoms - For the current CDC list of COVID-19 symptoms, please go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html.

b.  Person Under Investigation (PUI) - an individual who is symptomatic & being tested for COVID-19 (no results yet).

1. Presumptively positive for COVID-19 – when a person tested positive by a public health laboratory, but results are pending confirmation at CDC. 
2. Close contact is defined as someone who:
   • Was within 6 feet of a person infected with COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period* starting from 48 hours before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic COVID-19 infected individuals, 48 hours prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the COVID-19 positive person is isolated regardless of whether the individuals were wearing face coverings, and/or  
   • Had direct contact with secretions (being coughed on, sneezed on, kissing, sharing utensils, etc.) from a COVID-19 infected person. 

*Individual exposures added together over a 24-hour period (e.g., three 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). 

CRITERIA RESTRICTION FROM ENTERING PHNSY & IMF

1.  The State of Hawaii Safe Travels Program has ended.  Currently there are no additional state COVID-related requirements for arriving domestic passengers.  Travelers arriving in Hawaii directly from international airports must still comply with U.S. Federal requirements:  consult with your airline to ensure you have the latest information.  Also see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/.  

General Requirement for Travelers.

In all cases, no contractor employees may engage in official travel if they have tested positive for COVID-19 and have not yet met the criteria for discontinuing isolation (stay at home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home), they are symptomatic, or they are pending COVID-19 test results. After discontinuing isolation, personnel should avoid official travel until 10 calendar days after their symptoms started or the date of their positive test. If these personnel must travel on days 6 through 10, they must properly wear a well-fitting mask when they are around others for the entire duration of travel, even if mask wearing is not otherwise required by DoD guidance.

All contractors on official travel shall follow the above “General Requirement for Travelers.”  Meanwhile, there are no pre-travel testing or quarantine requirements prior to entering PHNSY & IMF facility.

2.  Contractor employee who experiences COVID-19 symptoms is restricted from entering PHNSY & IMF facility until the contractor employee is asymptomatic for at least 24 hours without use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (i.e. cough medicine, etc.).  Contractor shall immediately notify their PHNSY & IMF sponsor/COR who will notify COVID-19 Tracking Team if the case meets one or both of the following:

• There are work-related close contacts (civilian, military or contractor) and/or
• The employee suspects their illness is a result of being a close contact of a work-related COVID-19 case .   

If COVID-19 symptoms are due to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in last 24-72 hours, contractor employee may enter DOD facilities when asymptomatic. 

3. Contractor employees with COVID-19 symptoms and a person under investigation for COVID-19 (PUI) are restricted from entering PHNSY & IMF facility.  Contractor shall immediately notify their PHNSY & IMF sponsor/COR who will notify COVID-19 Tracking Team if the case meets one or both of the following:

• There are work-related close contacts (civilian, military or contractor) and/or
• The employee suspects their illness is a result of being a close contact of a work-related COVID-19 case .   

   If test result is positive, refer to criteria 6.  If test result is negative, review criteria 2, 4 and 5, and check which is applicable.

4.  Contractor employees who are close contact with a COVID-19 case can enter PHNSY & IMF facility as long as they are asymptomatic and follow the additional precautions listed below for 10-days after date of close contact (date of close contact is DAY 0).  

• Monitor symptoms and take temperatures daily
• Wear face coverings indoors while at PHNSY&IMF except when eating or drinking (with physical distancing) or if face covering interferes with Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

Furthermore, Contractor shall immediately notify their PHNSY & IMF sponsor/COR who will notify COVID-19 Tracking Team if the case meets one or both of the following:

• There are work-related close contacts (civilian, military or contractor) and/or
• The employee suspects their illness is a result of being a close contact of a work-related COVID-19 case .   

5.  Contractor employees who have other persons living/staying in their house/hotel room that are identified as having COVID-19 can enter PHNSY & IMF facility as long as they are asymptomatic AND the additional precautions below are taken for 10 days after date of close contact (day of close contact is DAY 0).  

• Monitor symptoms and take temperatures daily
• Wear face coverings indoors while at work except when eating or drinking (with physical distancing) or if face covering interferes with Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

Furthermore, Contractor shall immediately notify their PHNSY & IMF sponsor/COR who will notify COVID-19 Tracking Team if the case meets one or both of the following:

• There are work-related close contacts (civilian, military or contractor) and/or
• The employee suspects their illness is a result of being a close contact of a work-related COVID-19 case .   

6.  Contractor employees testing positive or deemed presumptively positive for COVID-19 by a primary health provider or under the authority of a public health official are restricted from entering the PHNSY & IMF facility.  Contractor shall immediately notify one of the Contracting Officers listed below if the case meets one or both of the following:

• There are work-related close contacts (civilian, military or contractor) and/or
• The employee suspects their illness is a result of being a close contact of a work-related COVID-19 case .    

a.  Vivian Fukumitsu, Contracting Officer, 808-368-0881

b.  Megan Ho, Contracting Officer, 808-232-3657

Contractor employee testing positive or deemed presumptively positive for COVID-19 shall not enter the PHNSY & IMF facility until at least 5 days have passed since symptoms first appeared or if asymptomatic the date of the test, AND at least 24 hours without use of fever-reducing or symptom-altering medicines (i.e. cough medicine, etc.). 

At PHNSY & IMF facility, the following precautionary measures days shall be taken for additional 5 days by the contractor employee: 

• Monitor symptoms and take temperatures daily
• Wear face coverings indoors while at work except when eating or drinking (with physical distancing) or if face covering interferes with Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

A COVID-19 negative test result will not allow the contractor employee to enter back to the PHNSY & IMF facility earlier than the 5-day requirement specified above.  The contractor employee does NOT have to be tested negative before entering the PHNSY & IMF facility. 

The contractor shall conduct the contact tracing in coordination with the Contracting Officer.  In addition, contractor shall ensure the impacted PHNSY & IMF facility is cleaned and disinfected in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for the safety of the personnel. 

The Government may require the contractor to provide a list of individuals (both contractor and Government employees) that the contractor employee has been in close contact (as defined above) within the past 48 hours prior to their first exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and/or the date of testing positive or determined as presumptively positive for COVID-19, whichever occurred first.  For current CDC list of COVID-19 symptoms, please go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html. 

Any information related to COVID-19 cases shared by PHNSY & IMF with the contractor is not publicly releasable.  

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TEMPERATURE MONITORING

Whenever practicable, PHNSY & IMF will conduct temperature monitoring of contractor employees working in PHNSY & IMF buildings (including offices and shops) and vicinity to ensure the health and safety of all personnel.  The temperature monitoring will be conducted at the beginning of each shift, or soon as practicable thereafter, on a daily basis, or at the start of training, meeting or similar event.  Separately, all ships (i.e. Surface Ships, Submarines, and Barges) will continue their screening for COVID-19 at the brow prior to boarding. The temperature monitoring is very simple and your full cooperation is expected.  Some important information about the screenings include the following:

• Body temperatures greater than 100.4°F is an indication that the body is fighting a disease. Not all COVID-19 cases have an associated fever. Additionally, a fever can be associated with several other causes to include other medical conditions, severe trauma or injury, and medications.  

• The temperature monitoring uses non-contact infrared thermometers that DO NOT touch you.
• If a contractor employee has a temperature reading greater than 100.4°F, the PHNSY & IMF personnel assigned to conduct the temperature monitoring will immediately contact the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer Representative who will then contact the company’s point of contact.  In addition, PHNSY & IMF will record your CAC/badge number.  The contractor employee will be directed to leave the shipyard. 
• Refer to “CRITERIA RESTRICTIONS FROM ENTERING DOD FACILITY” Section for contractor employees experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. 

MASK WEARING REQUIREMENT 

When the CDC COVID-19 Community Level is “high” in the county where a DoD installation of facility is located, indoor mask-wearing is required for all individuals regardless of vaccination status while at PHNSY & IMF Facility and in other facilities owned or leased or otherwise controlled by PHNSY & IMF, to include government vehicles and common areas or shared workspaces (i.e. open floor plan, office spaces, cubicle embankments and conference rooms).  PHNSY & IMF face mask use requirements will correspond with the current community transmission data indicated by the CDC.  Data on levels of community transmission for Hawaii and specifically Honolulu County (this includes all of O’ahu) can be viewed on the CDC COVID-19 Data Tracker website found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html. 

When the CDC COVID-19 Community Level is “medium” or “low” in the county where a DoD installation of facility is located, indoor mask-wearing at PHNSY & IMF Facility is not required for all individuals regardless of vaccination status. 

Notwithstanding, fully immunized individuals must continue to comply with other COVID-19 mitigation measures, as well as other Commanders' mask wearing requirements, where applicable, e.g., when boarding a ship or visiting another command that continues to impose a mask requirement.  

If a contractor’s policy requires that fully immunized individuals must wear masks at PHNSY & IMF, individuals should comply with their company’s mask policy.  

Individuals who are not fully immunized will continue to wear the face masks indoors regardless of the Hawaii and Honolulu County community transmission indicated by the CDC.

Individuals can continue to wear face masks at their discretion.  All individuals shall continue to adhere to federal, state, local and CDC face mask guidance when not on DoD installations.  

Instructions are as follows: once on the site under “Your Community” click “County View.”  Under the “State” drop down menu, select “Hawaii” and under the “County or metro area” drop down menu, select “Honolulu County.”  The applicable community transmission level (low, moderate, substantial, and high) and corresponding color (blue, yellow, orange and red) will appear for Honolulu County. This is the only location applicable to PHNSY &IMF.  

CDC COVID-19 Community level updates are typically issued weekly on the CDC website on varying days of the week. If there are no current updates on the website, the CDC COVID-19 Community level indicated on the site is the most current.  Additional community transmission information is available through Shipyard employee notification/information phone number at (808) 473-9000.  Contractors are responsible for ensuring contractor employees including subcontractor employees are aware of the most current community transmission spread designations (low, moderate, substantial and high) by the CDC as applicable to PHNSY &IMF.  Additionally, CDC guidance on the definitions of low, medium, and high community levels can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html.

Masks recommended by the CDC include non-medical disposable masks, masks made with breathable fabric (such as cotton), masks made with tightly woven fabric (i.e., fabrics that do not let light pass through when held up to a light source), masks with two or three layers, and masks with inner filter pockets. Novelty or non-protective masks, masks with ventilation valves, or face shields are not authorized as a substitute for masks.

Exceptions to the face mask wear during high community level are as follow:

1. For brief periods of time when eating or drinking while maintaining six-foot physical (social) distancing between you and others in accordance with CDC guidelines;
2. When face masks are required to be lowered briefly for identification or security purposes;
3. When necessary to reasonably accommodate an individual with an approved medical or religious exemption from his or her company; 
4. When clear or unrestricted visualization of verbal communication is required for safe and effective operations (e.g., emergency dispatch, police/fire/emergency services); or for example when operating a forklift during work that requires the operator to repeatedly ingress and egress between the interior and exterior of a building where proper physical distancing can be maintained by the forklift operator. 
5. When an individual is unconscious incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance;
6. When engaged in work or training in which mask-wearing is not feasible or creates a hazard, such as swim qualification, amphibious, or aquatic training events;
7. When individuals are alone (or with members of their household) in their housing, private outdoor space, or personally owned vehicle; 
8. When operating machinery, tools, and/or other items during the use of which a mask would present a safety hazard;
9. When environmental conditions are such that mask-wearing presents a health and safety hazard (e.g., extreme elevated temperatures);
10. When an individual is alone in an office with floor-to-ceiling walls with a closed door.

All individuals shall continue to adhere to federal, state, local and CDC face mask guidance when not on DoD installations.

Masks recommended by the CDC include non-medical disposable masks, masks made with breathable fabric (such as cotton), masks made with tightly woven fabric (i.e., fabrics that do not let light pass through when held up to a light source), masks with two or three layers, and masks with inner filter pockets. Novelty or non-protective masks, masks with ventilation valves, or face shields are not authorized as a substitute for masks.

The below guidelines shall be followed regarding cloth face coverings:

1. Masks shall fit snugly against the side of the face, be secured with ties or ear loops, allow for breathing without restriction, and be able to be laundered and machine dried.  They should be comfortable as they may need to be worn for prolonged periods of time. 
2. All masks must have a minimum of two layers of tightly woven material, must fit snugly over the bridge of the nose and around the chin/neck area, and must fully cover the mouth and nose to prevent droplets from escaping.  Further, bandana-type coverings are prohibited because a snug fit over the chin/neck area cannot be achieved.  Bandana type coverings are prohibited even if they are made from two layers of cloth material.  Single layer neck gaiters worn by themselves are prohibited as they do not contain moisture in exhaled breath, but they may be worn on top of cloth face coverings as required (NAVADMIN 298/20).  Consistent with NAVADMIN 194/20, multi-layered neck gaiters may be worn in lieu of cloth face coverings, but only in particular circumstances where ear straps or neck straps on face coverings interfere with, or are otherwise not suitable for, the operational environment, e.g., work settings where ear and neck straps present safety concerns. 
3. Masks shall not be shared. 
4. Masks shall be in good taste and not offensive in appearance.
5. Masks coverings are not a substitute for any job-specific personal protection equipment.
6. IMPORTANT: Cloth masks shall be washed daily. Per CDC guidance, used cloth face coverings should be washed at the end of each day on a gentle cycle and dried at medium heat.  Refer to CDC Guidance at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html.
7. IMPORTANT: At the request of security personnel, you shall lower your masks covering to verify your identity at base access points, CIA gates, or any other occasion that may require showing your full face for identification purposes.
8. Face masks and coverings with one-way valves embedded in them allow the wearers’ respiratory particulates to escape through the valves, thus defeating the purpose of capturing particulates and droplets when wearers breathe, talk, cough, etc.  For this reason, face masks and coverings of any kind that have one-way valves embedded in them are prohibited for wear in the DOD spaces.