PROCESS TO REQUEST EXCEPTION ON USE OF MASKS AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC (CORRECTED COPY) :

RTTUZYUW RHOIAAA0001 0471950-UUUU--RHSSSUU
ZNR UUUUU
R 161950Z FEB 21 MID600050270740U
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC
CNO WASHINGTON DC
BT
UNCLAS

NAVADMIN 038/21

MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/FEB//

SUBJ/ PROCESS TO REQUEST EXCEPTION ON USE OF MASKS AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES
DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC (CORRECTED COPY) //

REF/A/SECDEF MEMO/04FEB21//
REF/B/SECNAV MEMO/05FEB21//
REF/C/CNO MEMO/09FEB21//

NARR/REF A IS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEMORANDUM ON USE OF MASKS AND OTHER PUBLIC
HEALTH MEASURES.
REF B IS SECRETARY OF THE NAVY MEMORANDUM ON USE OF MASKS AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH 
MEASURES.
REF C IS CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS MEMORANDUM ON DELEGATION REQUEST ON USE OF MASKS 
AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES.

POC/CAPT SARAH STANCATI/OPNAV N3N5L/703-692-9373/sarah.a.stancati@navy.mil//

RMKS/1.  Reference (a) requires all individuals on military installations and all individuals performing 
official duties on behalf of the Department of Defense (DoD) from any location other than their home, 
including outdoor shared spaces, to wear masks in accordance with the most current Center for Disease 
Control guidelines. 
Reference (a) also permits categorical or case-by-case exceptions to these requirements to be granted in 
writing by DoD Component heads.
Reference (b) delegates authority for granting exceptions to the Chief of Naval Operations, who 
delegated authority to Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Operations, Plans and Strategy (OPNAV 
N3/N5) in reference (c). 
This NAVADMIN provides procedures for requesting an exception to the use of masks and other public 
health measures in environments other than office spaces pursuant to the authorities in references 
(a)-(c).

2.  Procedure.  A template, and associated references, for a categorical or case-by-case exception to the
use of masks and other public health measures in environments other than office spaces is available at:
https://portal.secnav.navy.mil/cop/crc/COVID/DocumentationandPDFTraining/Forms/AllItems.aspx.

2.a.  The request should be routed via the chain of command to OPNAV N3/N5.  Submission by echelon 
2 commands to OPNAV N3/N5 will be via the OPNAV COVID portal located at:
https://portal.secnav.navy.mil/cop/crc/COVID/Lists/ExceptionRequests/AllItems.aspx
The portal provides automatic notification to the staff of pending requests.  Requests will be staffed for
decision, decisions will be posted to the portal, and the submitting official will receive an email 
notification when it is posted.

3.  OPNAV N3/N5 POCs for exception requests are CAPT Sarah Stancati at sarah.a.stancati@navy.mil 
and CDR Jessica Pyle at jessica.l.pyle@navy.mil.  For assistance navigating or accessing the portal page, 
please contact opnav_covid_crisis_response_cell@navy.mil.

4.  Released by VADM P. G. Sawyer, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and 
Strategy, OPNAV N3/N5.//

BT
#0001
NNNN