Three States Enact National Guard to Help With Staffing Shortages at Hospitals

Governors in three states are calling in the National Guard for help due to an ongoing medical capacity crisis’ due to the pandemic. Yesterday the New York National Guard announced that it had deployed 120 medics and medical technicians to a dozen long-term care facilities in the state in areas including Syracuse, Rochester, Albany, Buffalo, and many more. Last week Governor Kathy Hochul called for help after about 50 hospitals in the northern part of the state reported less than 10% bed capacity due to staffing shortages. The governors of Maine and New Hampshire have also activated their National Guards following a spike in Covid-19 cases. New Hampshire also called for help from FEMA.