CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
– Currently, more than 400 members of the West Virginia National Guard (WVNG) are serving the State of West Virginia through our four lines of effort to include operationalizing of the event, stabilizing the population, providing logistical movement of critical supplies and conducting data analysis to combat the virus.
Since our last update, our logistical team received shipment of critical medical personal protective equipment from the strategic national stockpile (SNS). Today, 117,400 gloves; 13,151 gowns; 19,813 surgical masks; 35,215 N95 masks; 693 face shields and 58 coveralls were distributed by the WVNG West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHRR) and the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (WVDHSEM) to all 55 counties in the state.
Over the last 24 hours, Guard members supported food bank missions in Gassaway and Huntington, packing more than 2,200 meals for West Virginia’s most vulnerable populations. Assistance was also provided through the use of two refrigerated trucks to distribute meals around the state.
Our team of data analysts who work hand-in-hand with DHHR’s regional epidemiology teams were able to support over 300 contact tracing engagements to track the spread of COVID-19 in West Virginia.
Additional Guard personnel are working two drive through testing sites in Huntington and Grafton and will support additional vetted sites as they come online.
Experts from our Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Response Enterprise (CRE) have identified a network of more than 200 interested retailers, food establishments and convenience stores who are interested in proper cargo, box handling and PPE wear training. The WVNG will support those requests in the coming days and weeks in addition to training offered to healthcare providers and first responders.
Members of the WVNG’s communications element are working with West Virginia University and Marshall University on ways to expand broadband capabilities for telehealth initiatives to some of West Virginia’s most remote locations.
The WVNG has conducted the following missions since coming on duty to support the state in all aspects of COVID-19 preparation and response:
- Soldiers are providing assistance with food box building and distribution at with the Mountaineer Food Bank and with the Facing Hunger Food Bank in Huntington.
- WVNG medical personnel are supporting the COVID-19 hotline in Charleston, answering calls and providing information to concerned citizens.
- Liaison officers from the WVNG are working hand-in-hand with the various West Virginia agencies who are leading the response to COVID-19 to include the Department of Health and Human Resources, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and Department of Education.
- The WVNG’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) Battalion, the 35th Civil Support Team (CST), and the 35th Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) have provided classroom and hands-on personal protective equipment (PPE) instruction to more than 150 first responders and hospital staff from Kentucky and West Virginia, in order to help prepare them on how to minimize cross-contamination through proper wear of, “donning” and “doffing” of PPE.
- Five Soldiers provided capabilities for conducting COVID-19 swabs in Morgantown March 23rd and 24th utilizing PAPRs PPE that can be decontaminated and reused, greatly reducing the use of disposable, one-time-use PPE.
- Soldiers continue to provide logistical support for delivery of PPE from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR) and West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (WVDHSEM) to hospitals and health departments.
- The WVNG has fielded a network of seven epidemiology teams to assist DHHR with COVID-19 tracking and analytics.
- We continue to provide logistical pickup and transfer of PAPRs and canisters to various health care networks in the event of a surge of patients.
- Our CBRN field is facilitating COVID-19 training for retailers, restaurants, convenience stores, health care providers and first responders.
- Soldiers are providing traffic control assistance to a drive through testing facility in Huntington and Grafton.
All current and future missions performed by the WVNG are a part of a coordinated state-level public health preparation and response effort for the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, initiated by Governor Jim Justice, and being led by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The West Virginia National Guard has a bench of nearly 6,400 experienced and proven Air and Army National Guard professionals who frequently train side-by-side with state and local emergency responders, making them well-suited for domestic operations.
Our National Guard members work and live in every community have a proven record of accomplishment supporting civilian authorities during and after homeland emergencies.