Three Northeast states have deployed the National Guard in response to a medical capacity problem caused by the epidemic.
The New York National Guard said Wednesday that it has sent 120 medics and medical technicians to a dozen long-term care institutions around the state. Gov. KThe service members were ed the order last week in response to personnel shortages, prompting the deployment.
The Guard stated in a statement thaLyons,vice personnel weguardnt to Syracuse, Rochester, Albany, Buffalo, Utica, Plattsburgh, Unguardle, Liberty, Vestal, len, Lyons, and Goshen.
Hochul has hinted that the Guard may be sent to hospitalscapacity,; as of last week, to a hospitals in northern New York had fewer than 10% bed capacity, owing to a lack of personneCOVIDlowing an Mills said in a statement. “Icrease of Covid-19 instances, Maine Gov. Janet Mills mobilised the National Guard.
“I do not take this decision lightly,” Mills said in a statement, .bse the load on our health-care system and assure treatment for all those who need it.”
As of Wednesday, the state reported a record-high 379 persons hospitalised with Covid-19, 60 of whom were on ventilators.
According to a statement issued by Mills’ office on Wednesday, Maine has onlthe COVIDICU beds available statewide.
Gov. Christopher Sununu has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard to assist the state in preparing for the Covid-19 winter surge.
“We called out to FEMA to request some staffing support in our healthcare institutions as we prepare for the winter surge,” Sununu said at a Covid-19 press conferenc COVID Wednesday. “They did tell us that they’d be sending a few dozen people to New Hampshire to assist, with the first 24-person team arriving as early as this weekend.”
Sununu stated that the additional manpower will allow hospitals to expand entire wings in order to better serve their communities.
FEMA will also provide 30 paramedics, who will arrive in New Hampshire before the end of next week.
“Those 30 paramedics will be assigned to hospitals with the greatest COVID load,” Sununu explained.
Sununu stated that authorities have been meeting with hospitals around the state to determine how best to use the National Guard during the winter spike.
He said that the state will send an initial group of 70 men and women from the National Guard in the coming weeks to assist hospitals where the need is greatest, aiding with activities that will allow for a smoother operation.
“Everything from soup, food service, or clerical work — things that can merely stretch, allow a hospital or healthcare centre to flex their own internal employees for better coordination of effort and ultimately better health care services,” he added.
Dr. Benjamin Chan, state epidemiologist for the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, who was also present at the news conference, stated that 1,184 patients were diagnosed with Covid-19 on Wednesday.
