Three US States Deploy National Guard To Ease COVID-19 Workload On Hospitals

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2021) The US states of New York, New Hampshire, and Maine have reinforced their medical facilities with the addition of National Guard forces to help ease excess workload created by the increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations.

"In the midst of a sustained surge of COVID-19 in Maine, I am activating the Maine National Guard, and, in consultation with our health care systems, deploying them to expand our hospitals' ability to treat people with COVID-19 and other serious medical conditions," Maine Governor Janet Mills tweeted overnight Thursday.

On Wednesday, Maine registered the record high of 379 coronavirus hospitalizations, including 117 patients in intensive care and 60 on ventilators.

Last week, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that 60 National Guard medical groups will be deployed to state health facilities because of the surge in hospitalizations. New Hampshire will deploy 70 National Guard troops, Governor Chris Sununu said on Wednesday.

As of Thursday, the United States has confirmed over 49 million coronavirus cases and more than 789,000 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.