The Pentagon is extending its travel ban for troops through June 30 to continue its efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Matt Donovan made the announcement during a conference call with reporters on Saturday.
He said, "We understand the impact this has on our service members and their families. However, this is a necessary measure to keep our people safe and our military ready."
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper halted movements of service members, their families and civilian personnel last month, which was supposed to expire on May 11.
The new order has some exceptions for travel including recruiting and basic training, changes of station, temporary duty travel or medical treatment.
Donovan said during Saturday's call that Esper will be reviewing this new order every 15 days to determine whether the ban can be lifted or not.
