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Immediate Release

Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 22) - Department of Defense Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Surveillance and Screening Testing

Recently, the department released Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 22) - Department of Defense Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Surveillance and Screening Testing.

This memorandum updates the DOD surveillance strategy for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic response, including health surveillance activities, screening testing of asymptomatic individuals, 1 and sentinel surveillance using a screening testing protocol. It rescinds and replaces Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Memorandum, "Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 11) -Department of Defense Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Surveillance and Screening with Testing," June 11, 2020 and complements the clinical and diagnostic testing guidance set forth in Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Memorandum, "Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 15) Revision 2 - Department of Defense Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Laboratory Testing Services," July 2, 2021.

The department’s surveillance and screening strategies are designed to break the chain of disease transmission to reduce risk to the force and DOD missions. DOD Components will employ health surveillance, screening tests, contact tracing, and sentinel surveillance using a screening testing protocol to decrease operational risk. Testing selected asymptomatic individuals is part of our risk-reduction strategy and should continue to be incorporated into DOD's approach to combatting COVID-19.

The guidance details information on the following:

  • Health Surveillance Activities
  • Methods for Operational Risk Reduction
  • Guidance for Specific DOD Populations
  • COVID-19 Sentinel Surveillance Using a Screening Testing Protocol
  • COVlD-19 Contact Tracing and Testing
  • Assess and Improve Screening Testing and Surveillance Testing Processes

View the memorandum for Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 22) - Department of Defense Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Surveillance and Screening Testing.