CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
Currently, nearly 500 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.
At the direction of Governor Jim Justice, 15 members of the WVNG are assisting Workforce West Virginia to increase capacity for the state to process unemployment claims and assist our citizens in need during this difficult time. An additional 15 personnel will begin work later this week as we expand call centers in the state to meet increasing demand for assistance.
This morning, our Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Response Enterprise (CRE) task force assisted CAMC, Kanawha-Charleston Health Department and Kanawha County Ambulance Authority in COVID-19 testing of more than 150 residents and staff from Eastbrook Center. In addition, this team of experts will train an additional nine establishments in proper cargo, box handling and PPE wear today. So far, this task force has trained 75 stores and 364 personnel.
Our communications team, in conjunction with Marshall University and West Virginia University, tested network capabilities for telehealth initiatives in Wharton last week and Hundred today, where connectivity is sparse. Last week’s test was successful in providing connectivity in some of West Virginia’s hardest to reach areas, which could provide access to telehealth for populations across the state. This team also spent the weekend providing assistance at St. Francis Hospital for rewiring of phone lines as former office spaces are turned into COVID-19 treatment rooms.
Today, our logistics team is packaging 825 gallons of hand sanitizer for distribution and picking up additional PPE from Maryland. This week, our logistics personnel will provide assistance at St. Francis Hospital in the conversion of space to support COVID-19 patients.
To date, the WVNG has distributed the following PPE items to all 55 counties in the state* (denotes supplies were delivered to some hospitals for surge capacity):
- 672,300 gloves
- 50,866 gowns
- 75,180 surgical masks
- 112,553 N95 masks
- 46,370 face shields
- 19,008 coveralls
- 124 PAPR kits*
- 1,300 PAPR filters*
- 1,304 gallons of hand sanitizer
Over the last 24 hours, Guard members supported food bank missions in Gassaway and Huntington, by assisting with sanitization and inventory and provided refrigerated trucks to distribute 2,700 meals to Pleasants, Ritchie, Barbour and Gilmer Counties.
Our data analysts working with DHHR’s regional epidemiology teams were able to support 77 contact tracing engagements and 17 expedited specimen transfers to the state lab over the weekend to track the spread of COVID-19 in West Virginia.
Guard personnel continue working drive through testing sites in Huntington, Grafton and Lewis County, and will expand support to Wyoming and Mingo counties later this week.
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 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.
- 23 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 Task Force Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) Response Enterprise (TF-CRE) has provided instruction to more than 364 first responders, hospital staff, and retailers in order to help prepare them on how to minimize cross-contamination through proper wear of, “donning” and “doffing” of PPE.
- 14 Soldiers provided capabilities for conducting COVID-19 swabs in Morgantown March 23rd and 24th and in Charleston April 6th, 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.
- Soldiers are providing traffic control assistance to drive through testing facilities in Huntington, Grafton, and Lewis County.
- 15 Soldiers are assisting Workforce West Virginia to increase capacity to process unemployment claims in the state.
- Communications staff assisted in the testing of broadband access in underserved areas of West Virginia for telehealth initiatives and providing rewiring capabilities for St. Francis Hospital as portions of the hospital are converted to COVID-19 treatment areas.
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.