CANFORGEN 039/20 SJS 017/20 031919Z MAR 20 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE UNCLASSIFIED

REFERENCES: A. CDS TASKING ORDER FOR OPERATION LASER 20-01, 2 MARCH 2020

B. CANFORGEN 020/20 VCDS 001/20 030737Z FEB 20

THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. TO DATE, NEARLY 90,000 PEOPLE HAVE CONTRACTED THE VIRUS GLOBALLY, AND OVER 3000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM THE INFECTION. RECOGNIZING THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS EVOLVING SITUATION, THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA (GC) HAS BEGUN TO SHIFT FOCUS FROM CONTAINMENT EFFORTS, SUCH AS ASSISTED RETURN AND QUARANTINE OPERATIONS, TO MEASURES INTENDED TO FURTHER DELAY AND MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF A POTENTIAL WIDESPREAD AND SUSTAINED TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19. AS PER REFERENCE A, I ORDERED THE ACTIVATION OF CONPLAN LASER PHASE 2 (PANDEMIC ALERT/PREPARATION). THE PURPOSE OF THAT TASKING ORDER IS TO ENSURE THAT THE CAF IMPLEMENTS MEASURES TO MAINTAIN CAF OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND READINESS, PRESERVE ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR MBRS, AND MAINTAIN RESPONSIVE SUPPORT TO CIVIL AUTHORITIES AS PART OF THE GC RESPONSE. AS WE CONTINUE EFFORTS TO CONTAIN AND DELAY COVID-19, WE WILL IMMEDIATELY ASSESS CAF POSTURE AT HOME AND ABROAD, REFRESH BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANS, PROTECT DEFENCE SUPPLY CHAINS, AND TAKE MEASURES TO LIMIT THE CHANCE OF INFECTION OF OUR MBRS. IN THAT CONTEXT, THIS CANFORGEN IS INTENDED TO ISSUE AMPLIFYING DIRECTION RELATED TO TRAVEL POLICIES, DEFENCE ENGAGEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES, AND PREVENTIVE HEALTH MEASURES WITH A VIEW TO BETTER PROTECTING THE FORCE FROM COVID-19. REGARDING TRAVEL OF CAF MBRS, WHILE WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND IMPLEMENT GC TRAVEL AND MEDICAL ADVISORIES, I AM DIRECTING ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS, PARTICULARLY RELATED TO THE AUTHORIZATION OF NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL AND/OR TEMPORARY DUTY IN AREAS WITH ONGOING VIRAL SPREAD, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT CANADA S MILITARY REMAINS POSTURED TO ASSIST CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND CANADIANS SHOULD THE NEED ARISE. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, ALL COMMANDS WILL ASSESS REQUESTS FOR NON-ESSENTIAL LEAVE-RELATED TRAVEL ABROAD AND/OR TEMPORARY DUTY (TD)-RELATED TRAVEL ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. MBRS ARE TO AVOID PLANNING TRAVEL TO COUNTRIES EXPERIENCING AN OUTBREAK OF COVID-19 IN EITHER A LIMITED OR LARGE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE DISEASE IS NEWLY IDENTIFIED AND REPRESENTS A CHANGE IN THE EXISTING PATTERN OF DISEASE GLOBALLY. COMMANDERS WILL ONLY AUTHORIZE TRAVEL TO COUNTRIES EXPERIENCING A COVID-19 OUTBREAK WHEN DEEMED OPERATIONALLY ESSENTIAL (I.E., THE DEPLOYMENT OF CAF MEDICAL TEAMS TO CHINA TO FACILITATE A GAC-LED ASSISTED RETURN). DIRECTION RELATED TO TRAVEL TO CHINA AS ISSUED AT REFERENCE B REMAINS EXTANT. FURTHER, WHEN ASSESSING LEAVE AND TD TRAVEL REQUESTS, COMMANDERS SHOULD CONSIDER THE OPERATIONAL RISKS RELATED TO THE POSSIBILITY OF UNEXPECTED AND RAPIDLY DEVELOPING RESTRICTIONS ON FREEDOM TO MANOEUVRE. THESE COULD INCLUDE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CORDONS, REFUSAL OF ENTRY TO FOREIGN NATIONS BASED ON TRAVEL HISTORY, AND/OR NEW QUARANTINE OR ISOLATION REQUIREMENTS. FOR THOSE CAF MBRS CURRENTLY POSTED OR DEPLOYED OUTCAN, THEY SHOULD BE PREPARED TO IMPLEMENT HOST NATION AND ALLIED DIRECTIVES AS APPLICABLE. RETURNING TRAVELLERS COULD BE REFUSED ENTRY TO THE HOST NATION BASED ON TRAVEL HISTORY AND MAY BE REQUIRED TO RETURN TO CANADA FOR THE APPLICABLE MONITORING PERIOD. WHERE THERE ARE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS IN THAT REGARD, MBRS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONSULT WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE CAF SENIOR MEDICAL AUTHORITY. CAF PERSONNEL WHO HAVE BEEN RECALLED FROM LEAVE IAW QR&O 16.01 OR HAD THEIR APPROVED LEAVE CANCELLED MAY SUBMIT CLAIMS FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF NON-REFUNDABLE TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES IAW CBI 209.54. ADDITIONALLY, CAF MBRS ARE REMINDED OF THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SUBMIT A NOTICE OF INTENT TO TRAVEL IAW THE CAF LEAVE MANUAL WHEN SUBMITTING A LEAVE PASS. THE NOTICE OF INTENT TO TRAVEL SERVES TO ENSURE MBRS ARE MADE AWARE OF REGIONAL RISKS PRIOR TO TRAVEL. RESTRICTIONS MAY BE EXPANDED AS DEEMED NECESSARY BY ON-GOING ASSESSMENTS. UNDER QR AND O 1.03 ALL ORDERS AND INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED TO THE CAF UNDER THE NATIONAL DEFENCE ACT AUTHORITY APPLY TO THE RESERVE FORCE ONLY WHEN SUBJECT TO CODE OF SERVICE DISCIPLINE. HOWEVER, THE RESERVE FORCE CHAIN OF COMMAND IS ENCOURAGED TO COMMUNICATE THE SPIRIT AND INTENT OF THIS ORDER TO RESERVE MBRS. I FURTHER DIRECT LEVEL 1 COMMANDERS TO SCRUTINIZE ALL SCHEDULED CAF ACTIVITIES THAT INVOLVE LARGE GATHERINGS AND BE PREPARED TO CANCEL OR POSTPONE INVOLVEMENT IN DISCRETIONARY DOMESTIC EVENTS SHOULD CANADA NEED TO TRANSITION TO PANDEMIC MITIGATION. SIMILARLY, FORCE EMPLOYERS ARE TO PROVIDE ADVICE TO ME ON POTENTIAL CHANGES TO CAF POSTURE ON OPERATIONS AS REQUIRED. WHILE MUCH REMAINS TO BE DISCOVERED ABOUT COVID-19, WE DO KNOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF PERSONS WHO CONTRACT THIS INFECTION WILL RECOVER BUT THE DISEASE IS PARTICULARLY SEVERE FOR OLDER AGE GROUPS AND THOSE WITH UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS. IN GENERAL, THIS DISEASE APPEARS TO NOT BE AS CLINICALLY SEVERE AS THE 2003 SARS EPIDEMIC. THERE IS NO VACCINE OR MEDICATION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE THAT SPECIFICALLY TARGETS PREVENTION OR TREATMENT OF THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES COVID-19. THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT COVID-19 IS TO AVOID BECOMING INFECTED. PRACTICALLY, THIS MEANS ENFORCING HIGH STANDARDS OF PERSONAL HYGIENE. THE SAME ACTIONS THAT WILL PREVENT THE SPREAD OF SEASONAL INFLUENZA VIRUS (FLU) OR THE COMMON COLD WILL WORK FOR PREVENTING INFECTION WITH THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES COVID-19. THIS MEANS: WASHING HANDS OFTEN WITH SOAP AND WARM RUNNING WATER FOR 20 SECONDS (ESPECIALLY BEFORE EATING), USING AN ALCOHOL-BASED HAND SANITIZER IF SOAP AND WATER ARE NOT AVAILABLE, AVOIDING TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE, OR MOUTH WITH UNWASHED HANDS, APPLYING PROPER COUGH AND SNEEZE ETIQUETTE WHEN IN PUBLIC TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF GERMS. COVER YOUR MOUTH AND NOSE WITH A TISSUE (OR YOUR ARM IF A TISSUE IS NOT AVAILABLE). IMMEDIATELY DISPOSE OF ANY TISSUES YOU HAVE USED INTO THE GARBAGE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND WASH YOUR HANDS AFTERWARDS, EXERCISING CAUTION WHEN DECIDING TO SPEND TIME IN LARGE CROWDS OR IN CROWDED AREAS WHERE YOU CANNOT EASILY EXTRACT YOURSELF IF YOU, OR OTHERS AROUND YOU, BECOME ILL, NOT GOING TO WORK WHEN YOU ARE SICK, AVOIDING VISITING PEOPLE IN HOSPITALS OR LONG-TERM CARE CENTRES IF YOU ARE SICK, AND IF YOU DO BECOME ILL WITH FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS, FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES WHEN SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION. FAMILIARIZE YOURSELVES WITH LOCAL MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITY PROTOCOLS WHICH MAY INCLUDE CALLING AHEAD AND/OR IMMEDIATELY PUTTING ON PPE (E.G., MASK) WHEN PRESENTING FOR CARE. YOU MUST NOTIFY HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS OF ANY TRAVEL HISTORY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS OUTBREAK IS A DYNAMIC SITUATION. INFORMATION ON DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO COVID-19 IS AVAILABLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA HTTPS://WWW.CANADA.CA/EN/PUBLIC-HEALTH/SERVICES/DISEASES/2019-NOVEL-CORONAVIRUS-INFECTION.HTML, THE UNITED STATES CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/CORONAVIRUS/2019-NCOV/SUMMARY.HTML AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HTTPS://WWW.WHO.INT/WESTERNPACIFIC/EMERGENCIES/NOVEL-CORONAVIRUS CAF PERSONNEL ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO REVIEW THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WEBPAGE: QUOTE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS INFECTION: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS UNQUOTE AT HTTPS://WWW.CANADA.CA/EN/PUBLIC-HEALTH/SERVICES/DISEASES/2019-NOVEL-CORONAVIRUS-INFECTION/FREQUENTLY-ASKED-QUESTIONS.HTML IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT A POTENTIAL EXPOSURE TO COVID-19 AND HAVE HAD FEVER AND EITHER COUGH OR SHORTNESS OF BREATH WITHIN 14 DAYS OF TRAVEL TO A COUNTRY EXPERIENCING A COVID-19 OUTBREAK OR YOU HAVE COME INTO CONTACT WITH A KNOWN COVID-19 PATIENT, SEEK MEDICAL CARE PROMPTLY. YOU MUST DISCLOSE YOUR EXPOSURE/POTENTIAL EXPOSURE TO YOUR HEALTH CARE TEAM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR RESPONSIVENESS TO THE GC AND THE CANADIANS WE SERVE, I EXPECT ALL CAF PERSONNEL TO MAINTAIN A MINDSET OF READINESS, VIGILANCE, AND RESILIENCE. J.H. VANCE, GEN, CDS