Oregon National Guard members wind down support operations at state's hospitals
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon National Guard has started to draw down the number of troops deployed to hospitals as the state sees fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations.
Governor Kate Brown deployed national guard members in August to help healthcare workers as they faced a surge of patients brought on by the Delta variant.
An Oregon National Guard spokesperson said Friday they started a drawdown of troops since hospitals were covering the “necessary non-clinical positions on their own accord.” The decision to pull guard members is made on a case-by-case basis as hospitals determine their individual staffing needs in coordination with the Oregon Health Authority, according to the ONG.
Officials expect only 1,000 members to remain in the support mission statewide by Monday, October 18.
The guard members offered logistical support for roughly 20 hospitals such as "materials handlers and equipment runners." They will also assist with COVID-19 testing and other supportive hospital operations.
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The support mission was scheduled into December if it wasn’t completed sooner.