Pentagon requires masks indoors at military installations regardless of vaccination status

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon will require everyone to wear masks indoors at Department of Defense installations and facilities where COVID-19 transmission is high, regardless of whether they've been vaccinated or not.

In a memorandum issued Wednesday, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Jamal Brown said this applies to "all service members, federal personnel, contractors and visitors at all properties owned by the Department in those areas, in accordance with updated CDC guidelines."

This announcement comes a day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention once again changed its mask guidance, saying both unvaccinated and vaccinated people should wear masks indoors in high coronavirus transmission areas.

According to the agency's online COVID-19 tracker, every city in Hampton Roads except Williamsburg falls under either the "substantial" or "high" levels for community transmission. Hampton Roads is home to a large military community.

Brown's full statement can be found below: