Boeing has announced that it will temporarily suspend production operations at its facilities in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, in light of the company’s continuous assessment of the spread of COVID-19 in the region, the company reported on Friday.

“Suspending operations at our vital military rotorcraft facilities is a serious step, but a necessary one for the health and safety of our employees and their communities,” said Steve Parker, Vertical Lift vice president and general manager, and Philadelphia site senior executive.

Boeing noted that the suspension will ensure the well-being of employees, their families and local communities, and will include an orderly shutdown consistent with requirements of U.S. and global defense customers.

The company will suspend operations beginning at the end of the day on Friday, April 3. The site includes manufacturing and production facilities for military rotorcraft, including the H-47 Chinook, V-22 Osprey and MH-139A Grey Wolf. Defense and commercial services work and engineering design activities are also performed at the site.

The suspension will last two weeks, with the return to work on April 20. During the suspension, Boeing will continue to monitor government guidance and actions on COVID-19 and associated impacts on company operations. The company will conduct additional deep cleaning activities at buildings across the site and establish rigorous criteria for return to work.

Philadelphia area employees who can work from home will continue to do so. Those who cannot work remotely will receive paid leave for the 10 working days – double the normal company policy.

When the suspension is lifted, Boeing Philadelphia will restart production in an orderly manner with a focus on safety, quality and meeting customer commitments. This is a key step to enabling the recovery of the defense and aerospace sectors.

“We’re working closely with government and public health officials in the tri-state region. We’re also in contact with our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders affected by this temporary suspension as we assist in the national effort to combat the spread of COVID-19.”

About Boeing

Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. As the top U.S. exporter, the company supports commercial and government customers in more than 150 countries.

Boeing employs more than 150,000 people worldwide and leverages the talents of a global supplier base. Building on a legacy of aerospace leadership, Boeing continues to lead in technology and innovation, deliver for its customers and invest in its people and future growth.

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, on Thursday introduced a bill aimed at expanding acquisition reform efforts in the Department of Defense.

The legislation aims to strengthen accountability and agility in the defense acquisition system and Thornberry wants the measure to serve as a discussion draft in order to seek feedback ahead of the markup for the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.

“Nobody’s smart enough to know all the implications of moving things around in the system. So put it out there, let people have their shot at it, make adjustments as appropriate,” Thornberry told reporters Thursday.

According to a fact sheet, the proposal covers six aspects and the first focuses on requiring DoD to carry out two assessments of the requirements process against efficiency, technical feasibility and other metrics.

Thornberry also proposed to codify reforms to ensure that the “night court” process, departmentwide reviews and other efforts will continue; restrict certain defense funding until the Pentagon implements congressionally mandated reforms; require quarterly briefings to identify vulnerabilities or gaps in defense industrial base; streamline Title 10 with a focus on the reorganization of acquisition statutes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking for a chief data officer to lead the Department of Health and Human Services component’s information technology modernization and public health data initiatives.

CDC said in a job posting that the selected candidate will be based in Atlanta and work to coordinate efforts between the agency and the health and data science communities.

The CDO will also be responsible for establishing a data governance strategy and promoting the ethical use of health data for innovation and operational improvement, according to the notice.

Other responsibilities include providing advisory services to the CDC chief information officer as well as other senior leaders on matters such as public health policy and technological trends.

The job posting states that interested candidates must hold a degree in the medical field, allied sciences of health sciences. The position also entails occasional travel and telework operations as necessary.

CDC will accept applications through April 28.