New COVID-19 roadside advisories help assess risk when traveling off-post

By Sidney SullivanMay 27, 2020

COVID-19 Health Status Sign outside Gate 3 Grafenwoehr
A COVID-19 health status sign posted at the Grafenwoehr Gate 3 exit of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, May 26, 2020. The sign helps community members assess risk by informing them of reported levels of exposure to the virus in surrounding areas using public data provided by the German government. (Photo Credit: Sidney Sullivan) VIEW ORIGINAL

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — USAG Bavaria installed multiple new coronavirus-related signs at all installation entrances and exits, over the Memorial Day weekend.

These advisories are intended to help inform USAG Bavaria community members of continued COVID-19 precautions and reported levels of exposure to the virus, in the surrounding area.

INBOUND TRAFFIC

COVID-19 Questionnaire Sign outside Gate 6 Grafenwoehr
A COVID-19 symptom questionnaire sign posted at the Grafenwoehr Gate 6 entrance of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, May 25, 2020. If you answer “Yes” to any of these three questions, vehicle occupants must report directly to the secondary screening site nearest their destination. (Photo Credit: Sidney Sullivan) VIEW ORIGINAL

At gate entrances, look for a new sign that lists three questions related to COVID-19 symptoms.

If you answer “Yes” to any of these three questions, vehicle occupants must report directly to the secondary screening site nearest their destination. Otherwise, return home and contact your medical provider and supervisor.

By answering questions honestly and self-reporting, screening assets can be prioritized to pro-actively limit the potential spread of COVID-19 and help protect the community.

OUTBOUND TRAFFIC

At gate exits, USAG Bavaria implemented a new traffic-light style sign that features the name of a community with a corresponding color. These signs help visualize coronavirus conditions and advisory levels in neighboring cities and town, including: Amberg, Ansbach, Bayreuth, Garmisch, Hohenfels, Munich, Nuremberg, Regensburg and Weiden.

Depending upon the rate of new infections – calculated at a 7-day incidence rate – advisory levels are color-coded in green, green with a diagonal black slash, yellow and amber.

COVID-19 Advisory Levels Legend and Definitions
A color legend for the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria COVID-19 health status signs, May 22, 2020. Depending upon the rate of new infections, calculated at a 7-day incidence rate, advisory levels are color-coded in green, green with a diagonal black slash, yellow and amber. This graphic was created in Microsoft Power Point and Microsoft Paint, and it serves to help USAG Bavaria community members assess risk levels off-post. (Photo Credit: USAG Bavaria) VIEW ORIGINAL

These weekly assessments of risk do not restrict community members from traveling to the homes, or businesses, within the listed locations. Instead, the purpose is to provide the community with public health information, so people can take appropriate personal precautions and abide by Bavarian decree. Also be mindful that Soldiers without an Exception to Policy are still restricted to 50km, as stated in General Order 1B.

These exit signs are updated every Thursday with official state data from the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL), the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Ludwig Maximilians University Statistics Consulting Laboratory.

The garrison will also maintain identical COVID advisory reports online at https://home.army.mil/bavaria/index.php/Services/coronavirus.

The protection of our force, families and communities remain USAG Bavaria’s top priority.