America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way Printed on Recycled Paper 

Logo Department Organization Information Organization Address Information

Forest Service Washington Office 1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250

File Code: 6100 Date: July 2, 2020

 Route To: 

Subject: Guidance on COVID-19 Testing and Subsequent Action

 To: Regional Foresters, Station Director, IITF Director, Deputy Chiefs and WO 

Directors

I extend my thanks to each of you for your contributions and commitment to live our value of 

Service to the American people during this unprecedented pandemic. This letter serves to 

document the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s guidance and policy regarding 

COVID-19 testing and providing alternate housing, until we can provide further direction. This 

includes follow up actions that may be necessary after a test occurs. We want to ensure we 

continue to equally live our value of Safety and focus on our foremost priority, keeping our 

employees safe, 

You work each day to provide customer service to the public at our recreation sites; deliver our 

conservation mission through active management; and perform essential activities like timber 

sales, wildland firefighting and law enforcement. As part of our commitment to maintain safe 

workplace conditions during this pandemic, we are putting into place many changes to maintain 

proper social distancing; provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); and make certain there 

are ample supplies of hand sanitizer and more robust cleaning schedules. When it comes to our 

increasing needs for COVID-19 testing and alternate housing, we ask you to please follow the 

subsequent guidance: 

 

COVID-19 Testing: 

1. Any employee who is required to be at a Forest Service duty station, is in travel status, or on 

a Forest Service work assignment such as a fire incident or other remote assignment may be 

required to be tested. Our mission requires that we ensure we have enough personnel to 

carry out our functions. 

2. Instances where an employee will be required to be tested are when any employee is 

experiencing COVID-19 symptoms while performing their duties or when any employee has 

had direct exposure while performing their work assignments to an individual who tests 

positive for COVID-19. 

3. During an assignment, daily symptom screening for COVID-19 will be performed. COVID19 symptoms are found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptomstesting/symptoms.html.

4. To obtain tests, employees will leverage local testing capacity as available. If free testing is 

not available, employees will work with their local line officers or incident management 

teams to pay for testing at time of service. If this is not feasible, then employees will use 
Regional Foresters, Station Director, IITF Director, Deputy Chiefs and WO Directors 2 

Form FS-6500-229 to seek reimbursement for expenses not covered by the employee’s 

insurance, regardless of the final diagnosis. 

5. While using state or local testing capacity is the primary and preferred option, in instances 

where Regional Foresters, Station Directors, IITF Director, or Deputy Chiefs determine 

mission requirements necessitate additional testing capacity, they must work with Business 

Operations to facilitate the ability to contract for testing services to be administered at no cost 

to the employee if feasible. Contracting additional testing capabilities will require 1) test 

supplies, which could vary in market availability; 2) credible lab analysis; 3) a certified 

medical professional to interpret lab analysis; 4) data management, including protection of 

privacy; and 5) test disposal management. 

Alternative Work Location or Alternative Housing Locations: 

1. If an employee is awaiting required test results; is required to be quarantined after receiving 

required test results based upon local government guidelines; or tests positive as a result of 

their mission assignments, the employee should attempt to self-isolate at their residence. If 

this is not feasible due to the inability to comply with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 

guidelines or due to exposure of those with significant risk factors in the home, the Forest 

Service will offer and pay for alternative housing or an alternative work location in 

accordance with State and local health official guidance for up to 14 days. 

2. For employees who are not in travel duty status and are unable to self-isolate at their 

residence, local line officers may provide alternative housing or alternative work location in 

accordance with State and local health official guidance using GSA’s Emergency Lodging 

Services program for quarantining purposes. 

3. Employees in travel duty status will coordinate with their supervisor to either extend their 

travel authorization to use hotels in accordance with State and local health official guidance, 

or to use other approved lodging provided by the Forest Service, such as lodging acquired via 

the Emergency Lodging Service. This may be at the travel duty location, a location in route 

to or from a travel duty location, or at their normal duty location. In addition, in accordance 

with State and local health official guidance, the Forest Service will work with the affected 

employee to assist with travel back to their residence as soon as practicable. No employee 

shall report to work duty station if presumed or confirmed positive with COVID-19. 

Duty Status while in Alternate Housing or Alternative Work Locations: 

 

1. If an employee is able to perform work at the alternative work location while they are 

symptomatic, during a required quarantine period, in isolation, or while they await test 

results, they will be paid their standard salary. If during the required isolation or quarantine 

period or while awaiting test results from a required test, an employee is unable to perform 

remote work, they may take Weather and Safety leave.

2. If the employee is symptomatic, the employee may take emergency sick leave as provided by 

the CARES Act for up to 80 hours, take accrued sick leave, or take other leave in lieu of sick 

leave.
Regional Foresters, Station Director, IITF Director, Deputy Chiefs and WO Directors 3

This is a constantly changing situation. This guidance is aligned with current CDC guidelines 

and best practices as recommended by medical advisors. We recognize this fluid situation may 

change, and we will update this guidance and direction if it becomes necessary to do so. We 

remain committed to protecting the health and safety of our employees and the American people 

we serve. We will continue to base our actions on the guidance provided by the CDC to ensure 

we can perform all of our essential mission functions as safely as possible. Thank you for all 

you do. 

X

For

Signed by: KATHERINE ARMSTRONG

VICTORIA CHRISTIANSEN

Chief