DOD details guidelines for returning to regular operations

The Defense Department has released new guidelines for eventually returning military bases and installations, including the Pentagon, to regular operations though COVID-19 continues to pose an overall health risk.

The new guidelines include protocols for entrance screening, face covering and social distancing, as well as a phased approach for lifting DOD travel restrictions.

DOD Chief Management Office Lisa Hershman said during a press conference today the new guidance would be "conditions-based" and not tied to any specific date.

"We need everyone's continued support," she said. "If you feel sick, don't come to work."

Hershman said about two-thirds of the Pentagon's workforce is working from home and that 1 million square feet of office space has been sanitized.

Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Matthew Donovan said DOD is taking a "tailored approach" to loosening restrictions, but it is not "re-opening."

"The installations never closed," he said. "The Department of Defense has been in business the whole time."