FORT IRWIN, Calif. — As San Bernardino County hits 90,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, on Nov. 12 the National Training Center’s Commanding General, Brig. Gen. David Lesperance stressed vigilance as soldiers, families and employees may travel over the holiday and Opportunity Leave season.
“Now is definitely not the time to become complacent,” Lesperance said.
He reminded the community that San Diego, Nevada and Arizona have seen an increase in coronavirus cases and Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas went from a health protection status of HPCon Bravo to HPcon Charlie due to the case rate.
Lesperance modified his General Order in accordance with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Nov. 21 Limited Stay at Home Order, which enforced a curfew of 10p.m. – 5a.m. for counties in the purple tier.
Although San Bernardino County remains in the most restrictive tier (purple) due to the case positivity rate and hospitalizations continuing to increase, at NTC and Fort Irwin the story has been positive.
“The good news is, our community, for the most part, has remained safe,” Lesperance said. “We’re fortunate that we did not see significant increases after Opportunity Leave.”
Lesperance said the numbers on post are not alarmingly high but it is being monitored closely.
“As always, we appreciate your time, patience and continued discipline as we continue to safeguard the NTC and Fort Irwin community and adapt in our new normal for the foreseeable future.”
Lesperance said the low number of positive cases on post means, “Our mitigation protocols are working,” stressing the need to follow the installation guidance and the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Everything we do is conditions-based, meaning we consider state, county and local guidelines, guidance from our higher headquarters and conditions in our neighboring communities when we’re determining what can remain open and what should close based on a variety of influence,” Lesperance said.
Silver Valley Schools Update
On the date of this live Community Update, Silver Valley Unified School District was able to return to in-person instruction under a hybrid model for Transitioning Kindergarteners to 6th graders. This was due to a waiver the county granted. Superintendent Jesse Najera and Assistant Superintendent, Mark Lacey joined the live event to express their excitement and safety measures being enforced at the schools.
“Thank you for your patience, thank you following our rules,” Najera said. “There’s a lot guidelines associated with us being able to get this waiver, we ask that you’re flexible with us.”
Mental Health
Lesperance said re-opening in-person classroom for more students helped relieve some stress that the virus has brought and wanted to remind the community of the resources available on post to those who are struggling during these times.
“There are resources on this installation for you,” he said. “If you are feeling stressed beyond the capacity to handle it yourself or you are worried about a loved one, please reach out to the Weed Army Community (hospital) team. There are a variety of providers and support agencies on post that can help you mitigate some of the risks and reduce the pressure in your lives, so as it doesn’t get to a point that it becomes a crisis.”
Community Updates
Another piece of positive news was when Command Sgt. Maj. William Justice clarified that Freedom Fitness gym was not closed due to the pandemic and confirmed February 2021 as the target date for re-opening the center.
Lesperance continues to remind the NTC and Fort Irwin community of the risks associated with COVID-19 and need for best practices.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he said. “Where we previously saw cases in our young soldiers, we’re now seeing cases in our dependent populations—those families who have gone to see relatives outside the area and have come back and have later been informed by their families that they’re positive.”
Lesperance added that the risk is too high to add the San Bernardino National Forest (including Big Bear) to the approved list for travel in his General Order, however, he said, “You are allowed to go where your chain of command approves if you submit a pass or a leave form, so if you choose or desire to go to anywhere outside the local area, please submit a pass or leave form through your chain of command for approval.”
Leaders say they need the community to be just as discipline off post, as they have been on post, so NTC can continue its mission of training the force.
“I would just also warn everybody that although on Fort Irwin, generally everybody wears masks and practices social distancing and washes their hands and we still have good protocols in place, off post inside our local areas, that’s not the case,” Lesperance said.
The latest General Order on travel and other restrictions and permissions can be accessed on the NTC website: https://home.army.mil/irwin/application/files/7016/0591/1641/Slide1.JPG
