NASA Base Closures - COVID-19
March 30, 2020
From: NSSC - NASA Shared Services Center
Grantee Institution: San Diego State University/San Diego State University Research Foundation
Attn: Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR)
Subject: Closure of NASA Centers, Laboratories and Test Facilities for NASA Grant or Cooperative Agreement recipients due to Coronavirus (COVID 19) situation.
As we navigate this difficult time, the protection and care of the NASA family continues to be our top priority and the key consideration as we make decisions on how to move forward. Due to the latest developments in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, as of March 18, 2020 all NASA Centers, Laboratories and Test Facilities are temporarily closed until further notice.
All NASA Centers and testing facilities are closed with access to the Centers restricted to those activities that have been determined necessary to protect life and critical infrastructure. Only personnel responsible for performing activities below will be allowed to enter the facility to support these activities. Onsite contractors are strongly encouraged to telework and should speak with their project manager and, if appropriate, their Technical Officer (TO) regarding telework eligibility and follow company guidance/policy accordingly. You are also authorized to perform activities to protect life and critical infrastructure at your off-site facilities and other locations as appropriate.
Protecting the health and safety of our government and contractor workforce is our top priority. & _NASA is taking steps, in conjunction with health officials, to reduce exposure amongst the people who do have to be on site to perform activities that have been determined necessary to protect life and critical infrastructure. If you are not able to ensure the safety and health of your employees with performing the activities outlined above, please inform your NASA contracting officer, project manager and Contracting Officer Representative (COR) immediately to discuss potential alternatives for completing these activities necessary to protect life and critical infrastructure in an appropriate manner. If your employees are performing activities that have been determined necessary to protect life and critical infrastructure on a facility and they feel sick, they should not go to work.Please advise your employees to contact you immediately if they have been in close contact with a person known to have the Coronavirus (COVID 19) or if they went through airport screening and were told to self-observe or self-quarantine.
For travel associated with those activities that have been determined necessary to protect life and critical infrastructure, please contact the NASA program/project manager or Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for guidance regarding travel in these circumstances. You are reminded, to ensure that health and safety remains at the forefront of how NASA operates, NASA leadership has enacted a temporary policy for individuals who have recently traveled to any country that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has placed at "Level 3" concern. Currently most of Europe, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Korea, Italy, and China are at "Level 3", check CDC travel advisory website for details and updates. Individuals who travel to any country at "Level 3" may not return to work onsite at NASA centers for a 14-day period, from the time of re-entry to the United States. This includes both business and personal travel.These travel restrictions are supplemental to other prohibitions on travel by U.S. citizens to Iran, designated by the State Department as "Level 4 - Do Not Travel" and by NASA civil servants and contractors to China (no official travel without appropriate certification to Congress).
Actions that may result in increased contract costs due to this coronavirus situation should be minimized to the maximum extent practical. If you do consider such actions to be necessary, you are required to notify your Administrative Grant Officer (AGO). This notification should be done before the additional costs are incurred and should include a breakdown of the estimated costs and detailed rationale for these costs.
Contractor employees working off-site that are affected by Coronavirus (COVID 19) should defer to their established company guidance/policy.
You are responsible for monitoring the local radio, television stations, the NASA Headquarter's web site helpful links found at URL: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/hq/links/index.html, and other communications channels, for example contracting officer notification, for further updates on access to the NASA Centers, Laboratories and Test Facilities.
Any questions concerning this letter shall be directed to the Administrative Grant Officer (AGO) via email to the :NSSC-contactcenter@mail.nasa.gov. Please be sure to include the Grant Number in all correspondence.
Administrative Grant Officer
NSSC - NASA Shared Services Center