HUNTSVILLE — Redstone Arsenal personnel and visitors are once again required to wear masks inside buildings and facilities, according to the post’s senior commander.
According to a statement Tuesday from Lt. Gen. Donnie Walker Jr., due to the increase in the number of COVID cases in Madison County, Redstone will be implementing procedures to keep the workforce safer, effective immediately. About 40% of the post’s workforce of 44,500 employees has returned to work at the Arsenal.
“At a minimum, commands will enforce the wearing of masks inside a federal building/workspace,” Walker said. “This applies to all personnel in buildings on Redstone Arsenal.”
Over the past seven days, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported a 29.9% increase in positive tests. This is well below the state’s 2022 high point of a more than 45% positivity rate seen in January.
Citing the Consolidated Department of Defense Coronavirus Disease 2019 Force Health Protection Guidance, Redstone officials said the Redstone community level has been identified as High.
“When the CDC COVID-19 Community Level is high in the county or equivalent jurisdiction where a DoD installation or facility is located, indoor mask-wearing is required for all individuals, including service members, DoD civilian employees, onsite DoD contractor personnel (collectively, “DoD personnel”), and visitors, regardless of vaccination status,” the statement said.
Since the pandemic started, 97,054 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Madison County. In Alabama, the total number rises to 1,382,137 of cumulative cases, accounting for 19,804 deaths in the state.
In the past seven days, the Alabama Department of Public Health lists of the 39,992 NAAT tests administered, 11,340 have come back positive. With 2022 more than half over, Alabama has seen 3,057 COVID-related deaths; more than 9,500 COVID-19 deaths were reported in 2021, according to the ADPH.
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