U.S. NAVY COVID-19 STANDARDIZED OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE 8.0

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CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED// 
ROUTINE 
R 152142Z FEB 23 MID600052759268U 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC 
TO NAVADMIN 
INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC 
CNO WASHINGTON DC 
BT 
UNCLAS 
 
NAVADMIN 038/23 
 
MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/CNO/FEB// 
 
SUBJ/U.S. NAVY COVID-19 STANDARDIZED OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE 8.0// 
 
REF/A/MSG/CNO/191436ZOCT22// 
REF/B/MSG/SECNAV/201839ZJAN23// 
REF/C/DOC/USD(PR)/30JAN2023// 
REF/D/MSG/CNO/041827ZAUG21// 
REF/E/OPNAVINST F3100.6K/10AUG21// 
 
NARR/ REF A is NAVADMIN 234/22, U.S. NAVY COVID-19 STANDARDIZED OPERATIONAL 
GUIDANCE 7.0. 
REF B is ALNAV 009/23 RESCISSION OF COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT FOR 
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 
REF C is USD P&R CONSOLIDATED DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 
FORCE HEALTH PROTECTION GUIDANCE available at 
https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/Coronavirus-DOD-Response/Latest-DOD-
Guidance/ (Select "Health Protection Guidance" tab from the site menu on the 
left). 
REF D is NAVADMIN 165/21, SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY POLICY. 
REF E is OPNAVINST F3100.6K, SPECIAL INCIDENT REPORTING PROCEDURES. 
POC/OPNAV/COVID CELL, (703) 571-2822//EMAIL: 
OPNAV_COVID_CRISIS_RESPONSE_CELL@US.NAVY.MIL. 
 
RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN provides updated COVID-19 Standardized Operational 
Guidance (SOG 8.0), and rescinds and replaces reference (a) in its entirety, 
including the requirement that all personnel assigned to operational 
Navy units be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Reference (b) rescinded 
the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for Department of the Navy Service 
members. Under no circumstances shall a Commander mandate that any Navy 
Service member receive the COVID-19 vaccination. 
 
2.  Steady State COVID-19 Posture. Commanders at all levels are directed 
to balance operational employment with the health and safety of their 
units in accordance with current USD (P&R) Force Health Protection Guidance 
(reference (c)). Commanders and medical providers are also encouraged to 
consider the COVID-19 Operational Risk Management Matrix for Deployments 
(available at https://media.defense.gov/2023/Feb/13/2003160523/-1/-
1/0/BUMED%20NAVY%20COVID-19%20OPERATIONAL%20RISK%20MATRIX.PDF as a tool to 
evaluate risks to mission, force, and individuals. 
 
3.  Mission Risk.  Commanders should seek advice from medical providers 
regarding medical readiness of personnel to inform deployment and other 
operational mission decisions. COVID-19 vaccination status shall not be 
a consideration in assessing individual service member suitability for 
deployment or other operational missions. Commanders retain the authority 
to implement Health Protection Measures at any time or manner deemed 
necessary in support of operational safety and effectiveness, and where 
necessary, to restrict movement of service members in order to comply with 
host nation quarantine regulations. Geographic Navy Component Commanders 
(GNCC) will coordinate with country teams and local authorities to 
identify any host nation requirements related to COVID-19 testing 
or vaccination status that may restrict or create conditions-based 
criteria for liberty. 
 
4.  Sovereign Immunity. U.S. Government policy protects the sovereign 
immunity of warships, naval auxiliaries, and aircraft, including protecting 
crew information to the maximum extent possible. Within the context of COVID-
19, host nations may request or require crew or ship information that exceeds 
that authorized by U.S. policy or international law. 
 
4.a.  GNCCs will assess and determine in advance any host nation quarantine 
regulation requirements that may challenge U.S. sovereign immunity policy 
(see reference (d) for additional guidance). In all cases, GNCCs shall 
authorize the minimum information necessary to meet operational requirements. 
The Navy Declaration of Health (NAVMED 6210/3) is the only authorized form 
for providing health information to foreign officials. If required by the 
host nation, the GNCC may authorize Commanders to include on the NAVMED 
6210/3 or on a separate U.S. generated document accompanying the NAVMED 
6210/3 (e.g., Command Letterhead) that their unit is 100% vaccinated, those 
disembarking have tested negative within the required timeframe, or that 
those disembarking have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster. GNCC authority 
to approve these COVID-19 related exceptions to sovereign immunity policy may 
be delegated no further than the numbered Fleet Commander. 
 
4.b.  Exceptions to Policy (ETP). Where host nation quarantine regulations 
create requirements outside of the exceptions listed in paragraph 4.a, GNCCs 
shall determine, in accordance with reference (d), whether such requirements 
constitute a potential waiver of sovereign immunity. Any action the GNCC 
determines may constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity must be coordinated 
with OPNAV N3N5 for approval no later than five days ahead of need. To avoid 
setting precedence beyond COVID-19, ETPs will be messaged to the host nation 
as explicitly linked to the pandemic. Requests shall include justification 
for port selection, host nation mitigation and testing requirements, 
alternate port options, impact to mission if the request is denied, medical, 
legal, collection and privacy risk, and feedback from country team 
coordination. ETP notifications and requests may be sent via record message 
traffic or to the OPNAV N3N5 Legal and Oceans Policy Advisor. 
 
4.c.  Guidance for Commanders.  Per GNCC direction, Commanders 
shall comply with domestic and foreign quarantine regulations for port entry 
and document compliance on NAVMED 6210/3.  Absent GNCC approval in advance, 
Commanders will not submit to host nation COVID-19 testing nor provide 
individual or collective medical data, copies of health records, nor any 
supplementary or locally-demanded health forms, and shall not grant access 
to ship or crew health records or allow the same to be searched or inspected 
by host nations. If compelling circumstances require a Commander to acquiesce 
to additional host nation requirements without obtaining an ETP or GNCC 
concurrence (e.g., personnel emergency, weather avoidance), report the event 
and circumstances as soon as practicable to OPNAV N3N5 via the chain of 
command. 
 
5.  Reporting Procedures.  Individual COVID-19 cases do not need to be 
reported. Medical providers shall report pandemic or infectious disease 
related medical evacuations, hospitalizations, and deaths via Disease 
Reporting System, internet (DRSi). OPREP-3 Navy Blue messages are required 
for significant shipboard operational impacts due to pandemic or infectious 
disease. Format messages per reference (e). 
 
6.  Released by VADM E. H. Black, III, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for 
Operations, Plans and Strategy, OPNAV N3N5.// 
 
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CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED//