Yokota continues to refine the ROM process to mitigate any potential exposure. Now, more than ever, sponsors are encouraged to find new and creative ways to continue to support their inbound personnel and be fully involved throughout their arrival.
However, sponsors will no longer be authorized to pick up personnel directly from the terminal in order to reduce the risk of possible COVID-19 exposure. Instead, inbound personnel will be taken via shuttle to Bldg. 400, which will be the ROM reception area and will service personnel until their lodging or residence is ready. The ROM reception area amenities will include wi-fi, pet relief area, seating, and a DSN phone for use. Food may be delivered via delivery options or sponsor drop-off.
Sponsors will ensure lodging or housing is reserved and coordinated. In addition, they will ensure that Pet Care Center or pet friendly lodging reservations are made when necessary. When applicable, keys need to be dropped off at Bldg. 400, Room 107 between 0800 and 1000 Monday through Friday at least one day prior to the newcomer’s arrival.
Members flying into commercial airports with pets will need to reserve pet transportation 3 weeks in advance through FSS.
Your health and well-being continues to be our top priority.
Health Protection Condition (HPCON) Bravo (Moderate Threat): The Health Protection Condition for the installation is Bravo and is characterized as a moderate threat and/or a real risk of exposure to personnel due to a significant outbreak of disease in the local area.
More information is available in DOD Instruction 6200.03, Public Health Emergency Management within the DoD.
Continued transmission of COVID-19 cases in the greater Tokyo area and other portions of Japan present a risk to our population. Accordingly, pursuant to DoD Instruction (DoDI) 6200.03, “Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Within the DoD,” dated 28 March 2019, and Air Force Instruction 10-2519, Public Health Emergencies and Incidents of Public Health Concern, dated 10 December 2019, I have declared a Public Health Emergency under my authority as the installation commander. The following measures are mandatory for all personnel present on or assigned to Yokota Air Base including but not limited to U.S. military members, U.S. civilian employees, all dependents, DoD retirees, Host-Nation (HN) employees, contractors, and any other persons accessing this installation. This order also includes those personnel assigned to mission partners/tenant units. These measures will go into effect immediately and remain in effect until 12 September 2020 unless renewed and republished or sooner terminated by me or my successor. I will review this policy every 15 days to determine if these measures need to stay in place or be reduced.
All gates will remain operational with the procedures and hours stated below.
Gate Procedures: When arriving at the gate, please be sure to:
1. Have a face mask on
2. Have your window rolled down
3. Hold up your ID card to be scanned
4. Flip your ID to allow the Security Forces member to verify the picture
Gate Hours of Operation:
-Terminal and West Gate: 24/7 for pedestrians and vehicles; Everyday
-Fussa Gate: Vehicles 0600-2200; Pedestrians 0600-0100; Everyday
-Supply Gate: Vehicles 0600-1800; Pedestrians 0600-2200; Monday-Friday
-East Gate: Vehicles 0500-0100; Pedestrians 0500-0100; Everyday
Please also note that all screening questions have ceased and personnel, SOFA or JASDF, may use any gate.
DoDEA Schools: Please direct questions to DoDEA Pacific and visit www.dodea.edu/Pacific more information.
School Age Care: Open to currently enrolled Single/Dual military.
Child Development Center: Open to currently enrolled members. Reduced hours: 0730 – 1630.
Youth and Teen Center: Closed.
Chapel: The base chapel has resumed in-person worship services with COVID-19 prevention measures in place. Online alternative formats remain available. Follow “Yokota AB Chapel” on Facebook for more information and updates on services and other Chapel program events. For counseling appointments call 225-7009.
Legal Office/Tax Center: Clients seen by appointment only. Call 225-8069 for legal assistance or 225-4926 for the tax center.
Housing Management Office: Clients seen by appointment only. Please coordinate with housing counselors by phone at 225-3252, or email at 374ceshousing@us.af.mil.
FSS Activities: Please monitor the Yokota FSS website for event updates at https://yokotafss.com.
Before you schedule your appointment for a new CAC or Uniformed Service ID Card, visit https://www.cac.mil/Coronavirus to see the changes implemented by the DOD concerning CAC/USID cards during COVID-19.
Report to your place of duty as directed. If you are sick, stay home. Those who are experiencing symptoms like fever, cough and difficulty breathing, are directed to report this information to their chain of command and to call the medical appointment line at DSN: 225-8864 Opt. 7 or Cell: 042-552-2510 Ext. 58864 Opt. 7. DO NOT GO TO URGENT CARE IN-PERSON.
To protect our personnel and families from the continued transmission of COVID-19 cases, the installation commander has established a local area within Japan. The local area is defined as the country of Japan excluding the Tokyo metropolitan area and the island of Okinawa which are prohibited. Areas in downtown Tokyo (for example Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Roppongi) are NOT considered part of the local area. Maps that define the local area can be found at https://www.yokota.af.mil/COVID-19/ and attached to this policy. Members are authorized travel within the local area for any activities not listed as prohibited in paragraphs 3, 7, and 8. Members are also authorized to visit other military installations within the local area; however visiting installations that are currently in HPCON Charlie status requires prior approval from the first O-6 in the member’s chain of command. Members who currently live outside of the local area defined above may travel in the immediate vicinity of their residence for essential services such as dining facilities, grocery stores, shopping, schooling, and medical facilities. All DoD uniformed members must remain in the above defined local area whether on duty, on leave, on liberty, or on pass unless traveling outside the local area pursuant to the requirements in paragraphs 4, 5, and 9. SOFA status members of the civilian component and SOFA dependents are highly encouraged to remain within the defined local area and any departure from that local area may subject them to a 14-day Restriction of Movement upon return. For anyone with an extraordinary situation requiring travel beyond definitions in this policy and not covered in paragraphs 4, 5, and 9, requests can be made for travel approval from the first General Officer/SES in your chain of command or myself for 374 AW personnel and those units without a local General Officer/SES.
Prohibited non-essential services include bars, night clubs, karaoke clubs, social clubs, amusement/theme parks, off-installation gyms and fitness centers, or any facility with a potential for crowds, close contact, or closed spaces where COVID prevention measures cannot be maintained. Off-base employment should be conducted in a safe manner using the same social distancing procedures used on base. For off-base schools and daycare facilities, parents should be aware of school policies and make a personal decision based on risk involved with the facility used.
a. Mission-essential travel outside the local area is authorized during the period of this order. Mission-essential travel includes but is not limited to medical appointments, official duty at another military installation, appointments with Government of Japan officials, U.S. embassy visits, and off-base house hunting. If there are questions on what qualifies as mission essential travel, please consult your chain of command. Proceed directly to the mission essential appointment from your residence or Yokota Air Base and return directly to your residence or Yokota Air Base.
b. Government funded TDY travel within Japan for 374th Airlift Wing personnel will be approved by me per 5 AF/CC policy. TDY travel outside of Japan will continue to require an Exception to Policy approved by the first General Officer in the member’s chain of command unless the purpose for travel is one of the 11 exemptions listed on the Secretary of Defense’s 22 May 20 memorandum. Per USFJ policy, mission-essential travel to a base or installation in HPCON Charlie status requires approval by the first O-6 in the member’s chain of command.
a. Public transportation may be used within Japan under the following conditions. Air travel conducted entirely within the country of Japan is permitted. There is no restriction on accessing airports within Japan. Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) travel throughout Japan is permitted. Travel by taxi is still allowed. While on any form of public transportation members must wear a face mask at all times with the exception of eating a meal on an airplane or Shinkansen. b. Use of local trains and buses is permitted at all times. Members must be cautious of overly crowded trains during rush hour and to the extent possible plan their trip accordingly. If members notice a train is overly crowded they are recommended to wait for another train. While on any local train or bus members must wear a face mask at all times. c. While still prohibited from visiting the Tokyo metropolitan area, members may use a local train or bus for the limited purpose of going to an airport or Shinkansen station in the Tokyo metropolitan area to conduct air travel or Shinkansen travel as described in paragraph a. above.
Leave to a personal residence or in the local area may be approved by a first line supervisor. Leave for military or civilian employees outside of Japan may be approved by their squadron commander, or equivalent. Any member wanting to take leave in the Tokyo metropolitan area or on the island of Okinawa will be required to submit an Exception to Policy request to my office. Any request to take leave at a base or installation in HPCON Charlie status requires approval by the first O-6 in the member’s chain of command. Approval authorities are required to conduct a risk assessment of the travel with the member and verify the HPCON status of a leave location before approving a leave request. Exception to Policy requests approved by the first General Officer in the member’s chain of command are still currently required to fly via Space Available status on all flights per SecAF policy.
Space available (Space-A) travel is limited to ‘category one’ (Emergency Travel). For more information, please contact the passenger terminal.
All personnel will limit gatherings to 20 or less people in attendance. Squadron Commanders (or equivalent for mission partners/joint service personnel) may approve social gatherings up to 50 people or less. Group Commanders (or equivalent for mission partners/joint service personnel) may approve social gatherings greater than 50 people. An exception to the public gathering requirements is allowed for attendance at off-installation religious services so long as attendance can be conducted in a safe manner. Those wishing to attend such services off-installation must exercise caution such as physically distancing requirements and wearing masks except for short duration to take part in religious rituals/rights/observances that require consumption. If members find that services are not being conducted in a safe manner, it is their personal responsibility to remove themselves from such an environment. At all times members will implement social distancing (6 feet or 2 meters) or cloth mask wear even when in groups of less than 20 people unless they are only with immediate family members. Personnel who live outside the defined local area may walk a pet near their residence and engage in outdoor exercise near their residence so long as social distancing can be maintained. Personnel who find themselves in an area with a potential for crowds, close contact, or closed spaces where COVID prevention measures cannot be maintained, should immediately remove themselves from that location. If there are questions on public gatherings, please consult your chain of command.
a. All personnel possessing a DoD ID card or other appropriate access card to Yokota Air Base can continue to access the installation. Contractors must be on an Entry Access List or be escorted by an authorized sponsor solely to fulfill their contractual obligations. Contractors are only authorized to visit their designated place of performance.
b. The ability to sign in personal visitors is still suspended. Official visitors escorted by U.S. or Japanese military personnel and/or U.S. civilian employees are exempt. Exceptions to this policy for personal visitors will be routed to the first General Officer/SES in the chain of command for tenant organizations that have a General Officer/SES on base. For all other units, I will be the approval authority. An exception to policy form was previously distributed.
Daily contact tracing logs are required for all military members, civilian component, SOFA-status dependents, and local national employees. Logs will only be reviewed by medical professionals. Log entries are required if the contact meets the following conditions:
a. Being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters) of an individual for longer than 15 minutes with or without a mask on; (Off-base - record the location and duration of your visit)
b. Anyone with whom you had physical contact while caring for, living with, or visiting (with the exception of your immediate family living in your home);
c. Anyone with whom you shared a health care waiting room (please denote time, name of clinic, and location of waiting room; no need to write down all patients names); and
d. Anyone having direct contact with an individual’s secretions (e.g. being coughed or sneezing on).
Members are encouraged to engage in physical fitness activities where social distancing and cleaning of equipment can be maintained. However, there still remains a risk in group physical fitness activities where masks are not worn, social distancing cannot be maintained, or equipment is shared between multiple individuals. Accordingly, the following group fitness activities are permitted where masks are worn or social distancing is maintained: volleyball, baseball, softball, tennis, and gymnastics. All equipment should be thoroughly cleaned after use in a permitted activity. Other group activities that involve close contact between participants with a high probability of transmitting respiratory particles are still prohibited to include, but not limited to, soccer, basketball, racquetball, football, wrestling, hockey, rugby, ultimate Frisbee, and contact martial arts. Modified practice of these prohibited activities (i.e. individual skill drills, conditioning, forms practice, shooting practice, etc.) may take place where strict social distancing is maintained or masks are worn and when there is no sharing of equipment or thorough cleaning of equipment is maintained.
We will continue to monitor the situation with regard to COVID-19 and provide updates as we receive them. If you or someone you know may be exhibiting these symptoms please contact the Medical Group appointment line at DSN 225-8864 Opt. 7. For updates on the coronavirus, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html or https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public.
If you are experiencing mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, sore throat, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or sudden loss of taste and smell), DO NOT go to Urgent Care. Call the medical appointment line at DSN: 225-8864 Opt. 7 or Cell: 042-552-2510 Ext. 58864 Opt. 7. This COVID hotline is only intended for medical triage. Your call will be answered as soon as possible but delays may occur during periods of high volume. For questions about ROM please utilize your chain of command.
Your Supervisor & Chain of Command for questions on policy.
Medical Group Appointment Line for medical triage only: DSN: 225‐8864 Opt. 7 or Cell: 042‐552‐2510 Ext. 58864 Opt. 7.
Yokota Air Base Facebook @YokotaAirBase: https://www.facebook.com/yokotaairbase
Yokota Air Base Website: https://www.yokota.af.mil/COVID-19/
Yokota Connect App
Commander’s Access Line (374AW.PA.CommandersAction@us.af.mil)
DoD COVID-19 News
DoDEA Schools
Yokota Medical Clinic
Myth Busters
U.S. Consulate General Naha
U.S. Forces Japan
World Health Organization
Yokota Medical Clinic DSN: 225-8864 Comm: 042-552-2510