Drew ups HPCON to Bravo as local cases increase

  • Published
  • By John Ingle
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs

SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Brig. Gen. Lyle Drew, 82nd Training Wing commander, bumped up the installation’s Health Protection Condition on August 5, 2021, from Alpha to Bravo as confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in surrounding communities.

As of July 30, 2021, the Wichita County-Wichita Falls Public Health District reported 335 active cases of COVID-19 including 311 people recovering at home and 24 hospitalized. A week prior, the district reported 229 active cases with 203 people recovering at home and 26 hospitalized.

“As a result (of the increase), we need to put more focus on protecting you and your families,” Drew said in a video posted to social media. “Therefore, effective this morning (August 5, 2021), I am taking the base to Health Protection Condition Bravo.”

The general encouraged Team Sheppard members to enforce specific COVID-19 protocols, in accordance with Department of Defense and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, to ensure the safety of all. Those include wearing masks while indoors, maintain a social distance of 6 feet, and maintain good hygiene practices such as washing hands with soap and water frequently or using hand sanitizer when needed.

Drew also urged personnel to use common sense when out and about in local communities. For example, have a mask on your person so when the environment dictates it, wear the mask to protect yourself and others.

The general said the fight against this invisible enemy isn’t over, and the active participation by personnel in preventing the spread of the disease is vital to Sheppard’s missions here and its impact on the Air Force, sister services and partner nations.

“What we do every day (here) is so important to our Department of Defense,” he said. “We train warfighters that go out across our country and around the world, so we need to make sure that we protect them and their families so that they’re able to concentrate on the jobs they do every single day.”

For updates on the local COVID-19 situation, follow the city of Wichita Falls’ Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/cityofwichitafalls. You can also find COVID-19-related information on the Sheppard Coronavirus page at www.sheppard.af.mil/Coronavirus.