五角大楼周五宣布，从下周一开始，国防部武装部队成员、文职雇员及其在军方所属设施中居住的家属被禁止在国内旅行，以减少冠状病毒的传播。
“由于新型冠状病毒的持续传播，必须立即对国防部的国内旅行实施限制。”国防部副部长戴维•诺奎斯特签署的一份国防部备忘录说。
备忘录规定，旅行限制将持续至5月11日。在此期间，服役成员只能当地休假。
“这些限制对于保持部队备战状态，限制病毒的持续传播以及维护服役人员、国防部文职雇员和他们的家人以及我们所居住的当地社区的健康和福祉是必要的。”
该消息发布之前，总统川普在周三的电视讲话中表示，由于疫情恶化，从欧洲到美国的旅行将被中止，后来澄清该限制将不适用于美国公民。军方已经感受到大流行的影响，因为一些分支机构已开始对新兵进行病毒筛查，而美国对某些军事演习的参与也因病毒爆发而有所改变。
国防部周五在一份声明中说，旅行限制“还将暂停在国防部设施和分部的平民招募计划，如果这些人员不在招聘实体的本地通勤区域内。”
该备忘录称，某些旅行限制例外将“视情况而定”，并允许因寻求医疗服务的旅行。
该部门还宣布从周一开始对那些可以进入五角大楼的人实施新规定。根据该部门的第二份备忘录，五角大楼将禁止所有非官方和国际访客进入。
根据备忘录，任何军事或政府雇员或承包商如果在过去14天去过疾病控制与预防中心警告中最高或第二高的国家，将不得进入五角大楼。
备忘录指出，五角大楼的公众参观将被“取消，直至另行通知”，此前国会和白宫也实施了同样的措施。
“所有大型聚会，如退休和升迁仪式，都将停止。”该部门在相应的声明中说。
Pentagon bans domestic travel for fear of spreading new coronavirus
Members of the Defense Department's Armed Forces, civilian employees and their families living in military-owned facilities will be barred from traveling within the country from Monday to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the Pentagon announced Friday.
"Due to the continued spread of the 2019-ncov, immediate restrictions must be placed on the internal travel of the Department of Defense, " said a department of Defense memo signed by Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist.
The memorandum stipulates that travel restrictions will continue until 11 May. During this period, members of the service can only take local leave.
"these restrictions are necessary to maintain military readiness, to limit the continued spread of the virus and to safeguard the health and well-being of service members, Defense Department civilian employees and their families, as well as the local communities in which we live. "
The news came after President Donald Trump said in a televised address on Wednesday that travel from Europe to the United States would be suspended as the outbreak worsened, later clarifying that the restrictions would not apply to American citizens. The military has already felt the impact of the pandemic, as some branches have begun screening recruits for the virus, and U.S. participation in some military exercises has changed as a result of the outbreak.
In a statement on Friday, the Defense Department said that travel restrictions "will also suspend the recruitment of civilians at Defense Department facilities and branches if they are not in the recruiting entity's local commuter zone. "
The memo said, exceptions to certain travel restrictions would be "contingent" and would allow travel for medical reasons.
The department also announced new rules for those with access to the Pentagon beginning Monday. According to the department's second memo, the Pentagon will ban all unofficial and international visitors.
According to the memo, any military or government employees or contractors who have visited the country with the highest or second highest CDC alert in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter the Pentagon.
The memo noted that public visits to the Pentagon would be "cancelled until further notice" , after similar measures were implemented by Congress and the White House.
"All large gatherings, such as retirement and promotion ceremonies, will be suspended, " the department said in a statement.
