ALBANY (WENY) – Gov. Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard to aid nursing homes facing staffing shortages amid surging COVID-19 infections.
According to WENY’s media partner ‘The Star Gazette,’ the medical teams will offer assistance at New York nursing homes and long-term care facilities that have a need for additional resources. The State Department of Health will coordinate with each facility to ensure the deployments target each of their needs.
According to Colonel Richard Goldenberg, a spokesman for the New York National Guard, Wednesday’s deployment consisted of 120 members from the United States Army and United States Air Force separated into two-person teams.
Goldenberg said all guard members will be medical technicians or combat medics, making them equivalent to EMTs.
The deployment comes after at least 37 New York hospitals faced patient capacity shortages due to the pandemic. Under a state order, they are expected to halt elective health care to free up beds on Friday.
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