Beginning July 9, health protection restrictions inside the Pentagon will be further relaxed to allow up to 90% occupancy in most workspaces. 

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said this is not a complete return to “pre-COVID-19 normal,” but it is getting closer. 

“We are going to continue force health protection levels to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within our workforce,” he said July 8. 

“We will continue to use maximum telework opportunities and flexible scheduling,” Kirby said. “We are only going to bring in employees as needed to support their mission and to implement the secretary’s priorities, while keeping the focus—of course—on defeating COVID.” 

Pentagon records show 335,876 soldiers are fully vaccinated and 165,174 are partially vaccinated as of 5 a.m. July 7. 

A July 7 Pentagon memo says, “Supervisors and managers will provide maximum telework opportunities and flexible scheduling when possible to optimize the workforce while defending our nation, taking care of our people, and ensuring success through teamwork. We must remain focused on our national security mission, implementing the Secretary’s priorities, and defeating COVID-19.”