(WTVD) -- The COVID-19 pandemic could start affecting soldiers looking to return home from their tours, as a result of some new Department of Defense guidelines.
For Whitley Lyons, she says it's already thrown a wrench into her husband's plans to return home from Afghanistan.
Whitley's husband, Staff Sergeant Tanner Lyons has just completed his first deployment and was planning to fly back to Fort Bragg with his unit this Wednesday or Friday; however, that was quickly met with cancellations.
"I'm disappointed because I wanted him to come home. It's been a long-awaited time for him to come home," Whitley said.
The veteran says the latest travel ban to stop the spread of COVID-19 led to some confusion, and that means he's still not home.
"(I'm) Worried that if he lingers over there longer he might be stuck for a longer period of time than either one of us want," Whitley added.
On Wednesday, the DOD announced new travel restrictions to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
These restrictions, which are set to begin on Friday, prohibit service members, DOD civilians or families to travel to, from, or through level 3 locations, as designated by the CDC. The level 3 locations include Italy, Iran, China, and South Korea, according to the CDC.
An 82nd Airborne Division spokesperson saidno current flights have been directly affected by the coronavirus, but that's not out of the question in the future.
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