Adjusted COVID Regulations_030222
NASA has adjusted its COVID-19 face mask policy based on new guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Hancock County community level is classified as Medium (Yellow); therefore, effective Wednesday, March 2, 2022, Stennis Space Center’s community mask policy is as follows:
- Employees, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, are not required to wear masks indoors. Regular COVID-19 testing is required for unvaccinated employees; however, non-NASA employees should adhere to their organization’s policy on regular testing.
Please note, employees may choose to wear masks at any time. Individuals who are immunocompromised should check with their physicians to determine the need to wear a mask when the community level is either Medium (Yellow) or Low (Green). Anyone with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask and inform their supervisor.
To determine the COVID-19 community level, the new CDC COVID-19 Heat Map considers three key metrics – new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days. Based on that information, the community level is classified as either Low (Green), Medium (Yellow), or High (Orange).
The center’s community level is determined by the county in which the center resides. The mask policy for each level is:
- High (Orange) – Masks are required indoors for all employees regardless of vaccination status; regular COVID-19 testing is required for unvaccinated employees.
- Medium (Yellow) – Employees, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, are not required to wear masks indoors; regular COVID-19 testing is required for unvaccinated employees.
- Low (Green) – Employees, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, are not required to wear masks indoors, and regular COVID-19 testing is not required.
We will continue to monitor the CDC Heat Map for our surrounding counties and St. Tammany Parish and make adjustments as necessary. We appreciate your diligence and commitment to keeping everyone safe. For more information on the Agency’s Future of Work outlook, please check out the agency website here.