The general public will be able to visit the Naval Academy by the end of the week.
The academy and the Naval Support Activity Annapolis will be in Health Protection Condition Alpha, which regulates restrictions for health-related issues, starting Friday.
The change in Health Protection Condition, as well as the end of Maryland’s state of emergency allowed the academy to fully reopen, according to a release from the academy.
HPCON Alpha does not necessarily mean a return to complete normal. That would be HPCON 0. Social distancing for non-vaccinated personnel and some basic health measures will still be in place.
The Yard will be open for visitation from sunrise until 7 p.m. Anyone who arrives after hours will need to explain the reason they are visiting.
Visitors will need either a passport or Real ID driver’s license. Anyone younger than 18 will need to be accompanied by an adult. All visitors will be screened by a metal detector with bags screened by an X-ray or visually.
Those with a disability license plate or placard may be allowed to drive on the academy grounds through gates one and eight. They will also need to show ID upon entering, and vehicles will be inspected.
Visitors who arrive for a funeral may also be able to drive on the installation via Gates 1 and 8. They will also need identification and have their vehicles inspected.
While the Yard will reopen, not all services will be back at full capacity, according to the release. It might take several weeks for the services to be restaffed.
A full list of the retail services and their hours is available on the academy’s coronavirus page.
The 1845 Coffee and the Midshipmen Store are open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The academy will close Gate 1 from 6 p.m. July 4 until 6 a.m. July 5 for July 4 activities. Vehicles, instead, can enter through Gate 8.
Bronson Road next to the sailing center will be closed to traffic from 6 p.m. until fireworks end. Turner Joy Road will be closed to traffic, as well.
As restrictions are lowered in the state and country, more military installations are beginning to shift into HPCON Alpha. Aberdeen Proving Ground changed into HPCON Alpha last week.
Fort George G. Meade was looking for seven days of the local case rate at 2 per 100,000 people before it could start the process of requesting an HPCON status change. The earliest that conversation could start was last Friday.
Joint Base Andrews is also still in HPCON Bravo, as is the Washington Navy Yard, according to the installations’ websites.
___
(c) 2021 The Capital
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
