CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia National Guard began COVID-19 testing at a prison and a company May 20 at the direction of the governor and in coordination with county and state health officials.
Guard members from Task Force CRE and Task Force Medical tested 203 staff at the Huttonsville Correction Center in Randolph County. The night shift staff was to be tested May 21.
In addition to the mission in Huttonsville, Task Force CRE and Task Force Medical also tested 130 staff at Inter-State Hardwoods in Pocahontas County.
This weekend, Task Force CRE and Task Force Medical will provide assistance for high-density population testing in Cabell, Kanawha, Marion and Monongalia counties. To date, Guard members have conducted 2,879 COVID-19 tests for 87 lane support missions and 3,068 tests as part of their overall response mission.
Since beginning operations in support of the state’s COVID-19 response 68 days ago, the WVNG has completed 1,132 missions. Almost 680 members of the WVNG are on duty in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Task Force CRE continues to train first responders and people at businesses and state agencies how to wear personal protective equipment to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. This team has demonstrated proper techniques to 4,089 people at 740 businesses and 100 medical or long-term care facilities.
In the past 24 hours, West Virginia Guard members helped pack 638 box meals at the Mountaineer Food Bank, 157 family meal boxes and 600 food boxes at the Facing Hunger Food Bank and 3,335 box meals at the Harrison County Board of Education food mission in Clarksburg. They delivered 2,740 meals to Lincoln, Wood and Mason counties via refrigerated trailer.
Task Force Sustainment, the Guard team dedicated to receiving and moving critical supplies across the state, delivered PPE to seven of 55 county emergency managers May 19.
West Virginia Guard personnel have also 419 vehicles in Huntington and Charleston, including ambulances, police vehicles and public transport buses.
West Virginia National Guard medical personnel augmenting state health department epidemiology teams supported 278 voluntary COVID-19 mapping engagements and 11 expedited specimen transfers to the state lab. The state’s seven regional epidemiology teams have conducted more than 7,565 voluntary COVID-19 mappings.