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Immediate Release

Force Health Protection Guidance – Supplement 10

On Thursday, the department released the Force Health Protection Guidance – Supplement 10, which provides guidance on clinical and diagnostic COVID-19 testing for eligible persons with a DOD connection suspected of having contracted COVID-19, and applies Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) testing guidance to the DOD context. DOD Components will continue to employ clinical diagnostic testing in accordance with this guidance.  This guidance does not prohibit or impede surveillance, screening, and asymptomatic testing conducted to decrease operational risk within DoD, consistent with applicable law.

Testing Considerations

  • Healthcare providers will use their clinical judgment to guide diagnostic testing for COVID-19. See Attachment 1 for case management and disposition guidance. Providers are encouraged to test for other causes of respiratory illness as clinically indicated. The CDC testing priorities may be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/clinical-criteria.html
  • In the clinical setting, asymptomatic individuals may be tested based on a clinician's judgment and as deemed appropriate by public health professionals.
  • DOD Components must ensure appropriate infection prevention and control procedures are followed throughout the entire testing process. This includes employing the appropriate biosafety precautions when collecting and handling specimens, consistent with CDC guidance.

Approved Diagnostic Laboratories and Tests

Eligibility of DoD Personnel, Other Beneficiaries, and Other Populations for Testing

  • DOD Components may test Service members (including the Reserve Component, which includes National Guard personnel when in a title 10 or title 32 duty status) in accordance with this guidance.
  • DOD civilian employees (who are not otherwise DoD health care beneficiaries) may be offered testing in accordance with this guidance and reference (b) if their supervisor has determined that their presence is urgently required in the DoD workplace.
  • DOD family members who are eligible Military Health System beneficiaries may be offered testing in accordance with this guidance.
  • Employees of DOD contractors will use the processes for medical care to access testing as set forth in the terms of the contract under which they are performing. As necessary, existing contracts should be modified to set forth processes to provide access to testing.
  • For testing of local national employees in locations outside the United States, DOD Components should refer to country-specific labor agreements or contracts and consult with supporting legal counsel for guidance and any limitations concerning such tests.

The guidance can be found here.