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Regardless of vaccination status, as of July 28, 2021, mask-wearing is now a requirement in all indoor settings while in any official DoD facility, per official guidance from the Secretary of Defense. At NHB/NMRTC Bremerton, the wearing of masks extends to all areas inside the facility. According to Cmdr. Rob Uniszkiewicz, public health emergency officer (PHEO) and head of the command’s COVID—19 response efforts, the need to take a step back and require mandatory mask wear is based on Centers for Disease and Prevention Control (CDC) statistical evidence noting a drastic rise of COVID-19 cases throughout the U.S., primarily impacting those unvaccinated. The CDC data tracker noted that Kitsap and Snohomish counties, both located in the greater Puget Sound region and home to the Navy’s third largest fleet concentration, fall under the ‘substantial’ and ‘high’ community transmission categories of the highly infectious virus. “Therefore, DoD requires all service members, federal employees, onsite contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask in an indoor setting on installations and in other facilities owned, leased or otherwise controlled by DoD,” explained Uniszkiewicz. Mask-wearing, along with other protocol measures such as social distancing and frequent hand hygiene, especially in a hospital setting, is a step to help slow and limit the spread of the pandemic. “The vaccine is the best tool we have,” affirmed Dr. Dan Frederick, command PHEO and COVID-19 task force leader. “We do have a high degree of vaccine confidence." (Official Navy photo by Douglas H Stutz, NHB/NMRTC Bremerton)