NSA Bahrain Prepares to Open School Following COVID-19 Mitigation Successes

MANAMA, BAHRAIN

09.24.2020

Story by Lt.j.g. Nicholas Spaleny 

U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain

By Lt. j.g. Nick Spaleny, Naval Support Activity Bahrain Public Affairs

Students will return to in-person learning at DoDEA’s Bahrain School Sept. 27, after implementing significant coronavirus (COVID-19) mitigation practices that have proven successful onboard Naval
Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain.
After starting the school year Aug. 24 in a remote learning format, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Bahrain is returning to “brick-and-mortar” learning for kindergarten through eighth
grade.
The opening follows approval from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) to transition from Health Protection Condition (HPCON) Charlie to HPCON Bravo.
Department of Defense HPCON levels provide guidelines on how military installations can operate in the current health environment. NSA Bahrain operated in HPCON Charlie, an increased health protection
posture, for several months due to the pandemic. In HPCON Charlie, certain changes to daily life were necessary, such as maximized teleworking, closed services, and no in-person learning at school.
However, because of diligent work by NAVCENT’s preventive medicine team and Naval Branch Health Clinic Bahrain’s medical readiness and training unit, NSA Bahrain was able to gradually reintroduce certain HPCON Bravo-level activities while still in HPCON Charlie.
The teams, led by Cmdr. Marion Gregg and Lt. j.g. Kwan Jin respectively, were instrumental in crafting mitigation plans for continued operations
and safe reintroduction of services such as the gym, hair salon, movie theater and food and beverage activities even amid elevated community spread.
“We’ve been resuming or opening more and more services and activities on the installation with very strict COVID-19 mitigations, and they have been very successful,” said Capt. Greg Smith, commanding
officer of NSA Bahrain. “As an installation, we have been operating in HPCON Bravo-like conditions for months with rigorous adherence to the safety procedures we’ve added to every aspect of our daily
lives.”
Still, the recent official transition from HPCON Charlie to HPCON Bravo was decided upon only after thorough review of the risks and a reduction of non-epidemiological linked COVID-19 cases in the community.
Considered criteria for transitioning from HPCON Charlie to Bravo includes the level of “community spread” as well as symptom trajectory, case and testing capabilities, and the capacity to treat for COVID- 19 on the installation and in the surrounding community.
“We’ve been watching the COVID-19 data for our community very closely to assess the level of threat and understand how the virus is spreading,” said Gregg. “Having that data gives us knowledge on where the spread is happening. It determines the likely threat to our population and enables us to adjust our mitigations or HPCON as necessary.”
Smith further explained how NSA Bahrain achieved HPCON Bravo in the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The transition to HPCON Bravo reflects the implementation of extensive COVID-19 mitigations and everyone’s strict compliance with those and the rules of our host nation,” said Smith.
Delaying the start of “brick-and-mortar” learning allowed the Bahrain School to work diligently with NSA Bahrain and the NAVCENT preventative medicine team to increase and implement mitigations aimed at minimizing the potential for exposure to COVID-19.
“Our top priority has always been the safety and well-being of our personnel, and that includes our families and everyone in our community,” said Smith. “We’ve delayed the return to school as an extra
precaution because we don’t want to rush students back, cut any corners, or overlook anything. DoDEA has established policies based on guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Applying what we have learned combatting COVID over the past nine months, we have made sure that the measures are sufficient to mitigate the risk posed by the incidence of COVID-19 in our local community. We’ve run the gamut of possible scenarios and have tried to eliminate any weaknesses that could increase the risk of spreading the virus.”
In accordance with DoDEA policies, when the Bahrain School reopens, all parents will be required to submit daily pre-screening protocol forms for children returning to in-class learning. Parents and students are urged not to come to school if they are feeling sick. Students will be required to maintain social distance and wear face coverings at all times unless otherwise directed, such as during lunch, when they will be spaced appropriately from other children.
“As we go back to school, it’s extremely important that the teachers, staff, students and parents are all prepared now,” said Smith. “We must emphasize to our children that the opportunity to return to school is contingent upon strict compliance to the new mitigation measures. We are doing everything we can to make the return to school as safe as possible, but it cannot be achieved without everyone’s cooperation.”
More information on COVID-19 protocols for the return to “brick-and-mortar” learning can be found on the Bahrain Community Schools Facebook page.
“Compliance is mandatory; it is what is keeping us safe and allowing us to return to in-class learning,” said Smith. “Any plan is only as good as its execution, so we have to ensure people are ready to follow the rules and adhere to the mitigations we have in place.”
NSA Bahrain’s mission is to support U.S. and coalition maritime operations throughout the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations by providing security for ships, aircraft, and tenants onboard NSA Bahrain and
assigned attachments. NSA Bahrain provides efficient and effective shore services to sustain the fleet, enable the fighter, and support the family with honor, courage and commitment.

• Date Taken: 09.24.2020
• Date Posted: 09.24.2020 09:56
• Story ID: 378554
• Location: MANAMA, BH